New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said Afghan soil should never be used for carrying out anti-India activities and supported the need for an immediate ceasefire in order to establish long-lasting peace in Afghanistan.
Addressing a conference on Afghan peace negotiations in Doha, through video conferencing, Jaishankar reiterated that the peace process should be Afghan-led and ensure the interests of minorities and women.
The friendship of our peoples is a testimony to our history with Afghanistan.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 12, 2020
No part of Afghanistan is untouched by our 400-plus development projects.
Confident that this civilizational relationship will continue to grow.
"Our expectation is that the soil of Afghanistan should never be used for any anti-India activities," he said.
Taking to his Twitter, the External Affairs Minister said, "Addressed the conference on Afghan peace negotiations at Doha today. Conveyed that the peace process must be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled, respect national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, promote human rights and democracy, ensure the interest of minorities, women and the vulnerable and effectively address violence across the country."
He stressed that India has been a major development partner of Afghanistan and said India has supplied more than a million tonnes of foodgrains to the war-torn country in recent years.
Jaishankar stated that India has also facilitated the travel of Afghan citizens to India for medical treatment. He added, "These are the examples of our deep commitment to the welfare, prosperity and stability of the Afghan nation."
He said, "The friendship of our people is a testimony to our history with Afghanistan", adding that no part of Afghanistan is untouched by India's 400-plus development projects.
The External Affairs Minister said India's friendship with Afghanistan is "strong and unshaken".
"We have always been good neighbours and will always be so," he further said.
According to the agreement, the Afghan government said it will release 5,000 Taliban prisoners while the Taliban agreed to release 1,000 Afghan troops. (ANI)
