India calls for more cooperation on Afghanistan situation

India has urged "greater cooperation and interaction" on Afghanistan at a conference on security of Central Asian states, Iran and Russia to help evolve a strategy to deal with the Taliban and a growing humanitarian crisis.

Pakistan, now the key player in Afghanistan and keen to limit any potential Indian role, refused to attend the conference, with its National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf accusing New Delhi of being a "spoiler".

China, citing earlier commitments, also opted out of the meeting of the of the Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan.

The security chiefs of Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and India, in a declaration yesterday, expressed "deep concern" for the Afghan people and said Afghanistan's territory should not be used to shelter, train, plan or finance terrorist acts. They also condemned recent terror attacks within Afghanistan.

They "stressed the necessity of forming an open and truly inclusive government" and safeguarding the fundamental rights of women, children and minorities.

"We all have been keenly watching the developments in that country. These have important implications not only for the people of Afghanistan but also for its neighbours and the region," said India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in his opening remarks.

"This is the time for close consultation... and coordination among the regional countries."

India, which has played an important role in Afghanistan, investing over US$3 billion (S$4 billion) under the umbrella of the US military presence in the country, now finds itself sidelined in the country after the Taliban takeover following the US withdrawal.

Developments in Afghanistan have the potential to destabilise the region and New Delhi is concerned with how they could affect Kashmir, which is at the heart of a long-running dispute between India and Pakistan.

Similarly, the Central Asian countries and Russia have their own concerns following the swift Taliban takeover on Aug 15. The concerns range from a refugee exodus to increased drug trafficking and unstable borders.

"As we have a long border with Afghanistan, the current situation creates extra risk and possibilities for drug trafficking and terrorism," Tajikistan's Security Council secretary Rahmatjon Mahmudzoda told the conference.

Analysts noted that the meeting indicated a convergence of interests between India and the Central Asian countries, Iran and Russia.

"The meeting of national security advisers is a good beginning from India's perspective. New Delhi was feeling left out from the ongoing regional processes of negotiations on Afghan. It was neither in talks directly with the Taliban nor included in the negotiations headed by the US and Russia," said Professor Rajan Kumar of Jawaharlal Nehru University.

"It's a significant initiative on the part of India. This dialogue also makes it clear Russia is willing to accommodate India's interests in Afghanistan. How far can India influence the Taliban government is not certain, as neither Afghanistan nor Pakistan and China are participating in this conference."

Still, the most pressing issue facing Afghanistan is an unfolding humanitarian crisis.

The United Nations estimates that 23 million people, nearly half of the population, will face an acute shortage of food by the end of the year.

Ms Swati Prabhu, associate fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, hopes the security meeting would result in outcomes for humanitarian assistance.

"After the Taliban takeover, the Indian development partnership initiatives have been gravely affected. India will have to somehow look at devising a "humanitarian aid corridor", she said, adding that the challenge for India, and other countries, was "to ensure that the aid doesn't get diluted towards further solidifying the Taliban rule".