NEW DELHI: The situation in Afghanistan will dominate the agenda of the SCO summit from 16 to 17 September, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi setting out India’s concerns about terrorism in the region and “in general “in the presence of his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan.
TOI has also learned that although Pakistan has proposed a visit by the Indian authorities for an SCO counter-terrorism exercise, in accordance with the group’s protocol, India has not yet decided whether to participate or not. Under the proposal, India is to send three officials for the event, but it appears the government is not very excited about participating in an anti-terrorism exercise in a country it continues to identify as a state sponsor of terrorism.
Official sources said Modi will not visit Dushanbe for the summit and will virtually address the meeting. According to India’s statements on Afghanistan to the UNSC and also to the UN Human Rights Council, Modi is unlikely to cite the Taliban in his statement. Despite India’s reservations about the Taliban’s ties to Pakistan-based terrorist outfits, India believes the group has reacted positively to the concerns expressed by India and will wait to see if the Taliban carry on the conversation.
Before SCO, on September 9, Modi will also participate virtually in the Brics summit. The Brics Declaration is likely to express concern about the security situation in Afghanistan.
However, at the OCS summit, which according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will focus on the consequences of U.S. actions, India may not want to seem overly hostile to Pakistan. Islamabad clearly has the support of Russia and China who dominate the bloc and believe that Pakistan’s influence with the Taliban will be important to ensure stability in the country.
Russia and China had recently abstained from voting on a UNSC resolution on Afghanistan that India considered addressing its terrorism-related concerns perpetrated by UNSC-designated individuals and entities. Russia saw the same resolution as a “lack of will to recognize the obvious and a tendency to divide terrorists into ours and theirs,” as it did not name ISIS and ETIM that are active in the Chinese province of Xinjiang.
Moscow also alleged that there was an attempt by Western countries to shift the blame for the U.S. failure in Afghanistan to the Taliban movement.
TOI has also learned that although Pakistan has proposed a visit by the Indian authorities for an SCO counter-terrorism exercise, in accordance with the group’s protocol, India has not yet decided whether to participate or not. Under the proposal, India is to send three officials for the event, but it appears the government is not very excited about participating in an anti-terrorism exercise in a country it continues to identify as a state sponsor of terrorism.
Official sources said Modi will not visit Dushanbe for the summit and will virtually address the meeting. According to India’s statements on Afghanistan to the UNSC and also to the UN Human Rights Council, Modi is unlikely to cite the Taliban in his statement. Despite India’s reservations about the Taliban’s ties to Pakistan-based terrorist outfits, India believes the group has reacted positively to the concerns expressed by India and will wait to see if the Taliban carry on the conversation.
Before SCO, on September 9, Modi will also participate virtually in the Brics summit. The Brics Declaration is likely to express concern about the security situation in Afghanistan.
However, at the OCS summit, which according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will focus on the consequences of U.S. actions, India may not want to seem overly hostile to Pakistan. Islamabad clearly has the support of Russia and China who dominate the bloc and believe that Pakistan’s influence with the Taliban will be important to ensure stability in the country.
Russia and China had recently abstained from voting on a UNSC resolution on Afghanistan that India considered addressing its terrorism-related concerns perpetrated by UNSC-designated individuals and entities. Russia saw the same resolution as a “lack of will to recognize the obvious and a tendency to divide terrorists into ours and theirs,” as it did not name ISIS and ETIM that are active in the Chinese province of Xinjiang.
Moscow also alleged that there was an attempt by Western countries to shift the blame for the U.S. failure in Afghanistan to the Taliban movement.