ity is being reported from the bordering regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, with anti-India conspiracy being hatched in Islamabad, sources said. Thomas West left for US soon after the meeting. “India wants the message to go across to the White House through the visiting official,” an official said.
The US is said to be concerned over the Taliban continuing to impose suppressive diktats in the name of religion. During the talks, India’s humanitarian support to the Afghan people was appreciated by Thomas West. New Delhi, earlier this year, started supplying humanitarian aid to the country despite no recognition of the Taliban regime in Kabul. The aid included a gift of 50,000 MTs of wheat and vaccines to the people of Afghanistan.
In a tweet, Thomas said, “India is providing critical humanitarian aid, has interests to protect, and brings enormous capability and experience to support the Afghan people.” We’ll continue to partner with India and others in the region to advance our shared goals.”
In what was seen as a significant development, during the short visit, Thomas West met Afghanistan’s top leader, Dr Abdullah Abdullah. While welcoming the “Taliban’s good decision to let him see his family”, the West, in a tweet, reiterated and discussed, “issues critical to Afghanistan’s future and relations with the international community: the need for political process, human rights abuses, women’s essential role in society, humanitarian situation, and terrorism threats.”
Dr. Abdullah Abdullah is on an India visit, his first visit since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August last year. Dr Abdullah has been Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation and led the intra Afghan talks with Taliban. Another important official of the Biden administration is US Treasury Department’s Assistant Secretary Elizabeth Rosenberg, who is currently in India. She is in India to talk with officials and the industry about US sanctions against Russia for its invasion against Ukraine.
Elizabeth Rosenberg has meetings in Delhi and Mumbai. The key focus of Rosenberg’s visit will be to engage with Delhi on US-led sanctions on Russia in the aftermath of its invasion of Ukraine. A U.S. Embassy Spokesperson said the visit is part of “continued Treasury efforts to engage with partners and allies around the implementation and enforcement of the unprecedented multilateral sanctions and export controls imposed on Russia for its war against Ukraine.”
India has told the US that the focus of the world community, including Washington, should be on ensuring that Afghan soil is not used for terrorist activities directed against any country, including New Delhi. At a meeting with a top US official, Indian diplomats highlighted concerns over the possible use of the Afghan territory for anti-India activities. “Deteriorating condition of people in the Taliban ruled country was also discussed,” sources said.
US Special Envoy on Afghanistan, Thomas West, who was on a brief visit to Delhi on Thursday held talks with the Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran) in the Ministry of External Affairs, J.P. Singh. He was also accompanied by some more US diplomats. India raised all these issues during talks with Thomas West. Sources said that the officials also told the visiting US official that Pakistan based terror groups are working with the terrorists in Afghanistan, with leadership in Islamabad doing nothing to rein in such outfits. An uptick in terror activity is being reported from the bordering regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, with anti-India conspiracy being hatched in Islamabad, sources said. Thomas West left for US soon after the meeting. “India wants the message to go across to the White House through the visiting official,” an official said.
The US is said to be concerned over the Taliban continuing to impose suppressive diktats in the name of religion. During the talks, India’s humanitarian support to the Afghan people was appreciated by Thomas West. New Delhi, earlier this year, started supplying humanitarian aid to the country despite no recognition of the Taliban regime in Kabul. The aid included a gift of 50,000 MTs of wheat and vaccines to the people of Afghanistan.
In a tweet, Thomas said, “India is providing critical humanitarian aid, has interests to protect, and brings enormous capability and experience to support the Afghan people.” We’ll continue to partner with India and others in the region to advance our shared goals.”
In what was seen as a significant development, during the short visit, Thomas West met Afghanistan’s top leader, Dr Abdullah Abdullah. While welcoming the “Taliban’s good decision to let him see his family”, the West, in a tweet, reiterated and discussed, “issues critical to Afghanistan’s future and relations with the international community: the need for political process, human rights abuses, women’s essential role in society, humanitarian situation, and terrorism threats.”
Dr. Abdullah Abdullah is on an India visit, his first visit since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August last year. Dr Abdullah has been Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation and led the intra Afghan talks with Taliban. Another important official of the Biden administration is US Treasury Department’s Assistant Secretary Elizabeth Rosenberg, who is currently in India. She is in India to talk with officials and the industry about US sanctions against Russia for its invasion against Ukraine.
Elizabeth Rosenberg has meetings in Delhi and Mumbai. The key focus of Rosenberg’s visit will be to engage with Delhi on US-led sanctions on Russia in the aftermath of its invasion of Ukraine. A U.S. Embassy Spokesperson said the visit is part of “continued Treasury efforts to engage with partners and allies around the implementation and enforcement of the unprecedented multilateral sanctions and export controls imposed on Russia for its war against Ukraine.”
