Washington: Ahead of the crucial Istanbul
conference on Afghanistan, the US has said it wants India and
China to play a "constructive role" in bringing long-term
peace to the war-torn country.
"We`ve talked with both capitals about very constructive
roles that they can play," a senior Obama administration
official said on Monday evening.
Special US Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan,
Marc Grossman, was recently in India and China, and held talks
with authorities in both countries in the run-up to tomorrow`s
Istanbul conference and the role these two countries can play
in bringing long-term peace to the country.
"We`ve continued to talk with both countries, through a
series of diplomatic engagements. Ambassador Grossman was in
both Beijing and New Delhi on his most recent trip to the
region over the last few weeks, and this continues in a range
of other settings," the administration official said.
"Certainly, when the Secretary (of State) was in
India over the summer, she talked in particular about the
vision of the New Silk Road, which would ideally extend not
just through Central Asia to Afghanistan and Pakistan, but
ultimately through India," the official said, referring to
the initiative announced by Clinton in her Chennai speech.
PTI
