New Delhi: India will host a regional security dialogue on Afghanistan on 10 November. The meeting will be held at the National Security Advisor (NSA)-level, news agency ANI reported on Friday, quoting sources.
India had formally invited NSAs from Russia, Iran, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan for the conference. The report said that NSA Ajit Doval will chair the meeting next week.
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According to ANI sources, there has been an overwhelming response to India’s invitation.
Several countries, including Russia and Iran, are informed to confirm their participation in the meeting, inviting not only Afghanistan’s immediate land neighbors and other Central Asian countries.
“The enthusiastic response is an expression of the importance attached to India’s role in regional efforts to promote peace and security in Afghanistan,” sources were quoted as saying by ANI.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has declined an invitation to an NSA-level meeting of regional countries being organized by India.
“Pakistan’s decision is unfortunate but not surprising. This reflects his mentality to see Afghanistan as his protector. Pakistan has not attended the previous meetings of this format. Its media comments against India are a failed attempt to divert attention from its dangerous role in Afghanistan,” ANI quoted its sources as saying.
Apart from Pakistan, another country that has not yet responded to India’s invitation is China.
The two previous meetings in this format were held in Iran in September 2018 and December 2019.
The third meeting in India could not be held earlier due to the coronavirus pandemic.
According to ANI sources, the high level participation in next week’s meeting hosted by India reflects the wider and growing concern of regional countries about the situation in Afghanistan and their willingness to consult and coordinate with each other.
He said that India has an important role in this process.
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