New Delhi: As India gears up for the Moscow format meeting on Afghanistan to be hosted by Russia on Wednesday, October 20, former ambassador Jitendra Tripathi opined that the meeting can be seen in the context of a more important role being allotted to India given its global stature in Asia and its economic power and being the largest democracy in the world.
In an interview with ETV Bharat, former ambassador Tripathi said, “Moscow format meeting can be seen as a signal of recognition by the major powers that India can play a more significant role in resolving the issue of Afghanistan. Thereby, India can be recognized as an Asian power”.
Tripathi further pointed out that the Russian invitation can be seen as a signal from Moscow that it values the Indian role in Afghanistan because India had played a better role and now the country is in the position to be more influential. “It also shows that not only Russia but China certainly have agreed that India can play a more influential role in the region”, he added.
Last week, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that India will be participating in the Moscow format meeting on Afghanistan and as said by MEA spox, it would probably be attended at the Joint Secretary level.
The Moscow format on Afghanistan will be the first edition ever since the Taliban seized power in the war-torn country. It is expected that during the meeting, the Indian side will come face-to-face with the newly formed government of the Islamic Emirate, where it may express concerns on terror emanating from Afghanistan soil and hold talks with the Taliban.
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“Though India was not invited in the previous troika meeting, with the upcoming meeting, India’s stature has gone up because soon, India is going host a meeting on Afghanistan. If India takes a lead in this area then the issue of Afghanistan can have some solution”, the expert said.
Today, India has announced a humanitarian aid of 50,000 tons of food to Afghanistan, thereby, making it clear that India wants to help the people of Afghanistan. But to get international recognition, the Taliban government should show a softer face. And for the Taliban, the recognition by India and easing out of its relation holds immense importance because in Asia, except China, India is the prime mover in this region, Tripathi explained.
It is worth noting that India has been part of many multilateral forums on Afghanistan and at the UN Security Council, India has time and again reiterated its stand on Afghanistan. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon the international community to forge a unified response to bring about the desired changes in the situation in Afghanistan, which signifies that New Delhi will no longer remain silent.
The Moscow Format launched by Russia is a negotiation mechanism established in 2017 to address Afghan issues. It currently includes India, the USA, Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, Iran and Central Asian states. Pertinently, the first official contact between New Delhi and the Taliban was on August 31 when the ambassador of India to Qatar, Deepak Mittal, met Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the head of Taliban's political office in Doha.
Now, it remains to be seen how much New Delhi benefits in real terms from the Moscow format meet scheduled to be held tomorrow.
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