- Thursday, April 25, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (24) spoke with Russian president Vladimir Putin over the phone to discuss the evolving situation in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the Taliban’s return to power.
News agency ANI tweeted about the meeting between the two leaders.
Modi also shared on Twitter snippets of his conversation with Putin, saying, “Had a detailed and useful exchange of views with my friend President Putin on recent developments in Afghanistan. We also discussed issues on the bilateral agenda, including India-Russia cooperation against COVID-19. We agreed to continue close consultations on important issues.”
Had a detailed and useful exchange of views with my friend President Putin on recent developments in Afghanistan. We also discussed issues on the bilateral agenda, including India-Russia cooperation against COVID-19. We agreed to continue close consultations on important issues.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 24, 2021
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ANI also cited Russian government officials saying that Modi and Putin expressed their willingness to enhance cooperation on countering the spread of terrorist ideology and drug racket from the Afghan soil. The duo also reportedly agreed to set up a permanent bilateral channel for consultations on issues related to Afghanistan.
It was for the second consecutive day that Modi spoke with an important world leader on the security situation in Afghanistan since the extremist group retook power. On Monday (23), he had a talk with German chancellor Angela Merkel about the scenario unfolding in Afghanistan and its implications on the region and the world as a whole, besides discussing bilateral agenda, including cooperation in the realm of Covid-19 vaccination, fighting climate change and developing clean energy.
Spoke to Chancellor Merkel this evening and discussed bilateral, multilateral and regional issues, including recent developments in Afghanistan. Reiterated our commitment to strengthening the India-Germany Strategic Partnership.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 23, 2021
Russia rules out military alliance with India on Afghanistan
Earlier this week, Putin slammed the US and its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation for sending refugees from Afghanistan to various central Asian nations, saying they posed a direct threat to Moscow.
Central Asian nations like Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, which share borders with Afghanistan, have expressed worry over the influx of refugees into their respective territories after fleeing the Taliban, fearing that Islamic State fighters and other fundamentalists and religious extremists could also infiltrate into their land in the guise of refugees.
The Russian president’s remarks came despite Moscow’s ambassador to Kabul Dmitry Zhirnov praising the Taliban’s siege of Kabul and calling their approach as “good, positive and business-like”.
Russia has reached out to the Taliban in recent years and hosted its representatives in Moscow on several occasions, the most recent being in July.
Despite Modi and Putin’s talks, one must remember that India was kept out of a key meeting on Afghanistan that was chaired by Russia in Qatar earlier this month and featured countries like Pakistan and China.
