India-Russia talks: Impact of Taliban rule on both nations, migration and humanitarian issues discussed

Pic courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: From possible security implications of Taliban's coming to power in Afghanistan for India to the impact on Russia and the Central Asian region - these were some of the issues discussed when NSA Ajit Doval and his Russian counterpart Gen Nikolay Patrushev met on Wednesday (September 8), sources said.

"During India-Russia consultations, attention was paid to intensifying joint work of the both country's special services and military bodies. An exchange of views took place on the military, political and socio-economic situation in Afghanistan," the Embassy of Russia in India was quoted as saying by ANI.

The Russian Embassy further said, "They also touched upon humanitarian and migration problems in this country, as well as prospects for Russian-Indian joint efforts aimed at creating conditions for launching a peaceful settlement process on the basis of an intra-Afghan dialogue."

In the Doval-Patrushev talks, both sides deliberated on a coordinated approach in dealing with any possible spilling out of terrorist activities from the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan into India, Russia and the Central Asian region, people familiar with the development said. 

During consultations, Secretary of Russia's Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev & NSA Ajit Doval discussed deepening bilateral cooperation in security with an emphasis on further interaction on anti-terrorist track, combating illegal migration & drug trafficking: Russian Embassy https://t.co/OrSrdKl5wy — ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2021

They said both sides exchanged each other's assessment on possible security implications of the Taliban's capture of power in Kabul and how a coordinated approach can be followed to confront any possible challenge.

The people said the two sides also deliberated on threats from drugs networks operating from Afghan territory, the role of regional countries and details of Indo-Russia cooperation to meet the current and future challenges. 

The consultations reflect the close, trusted, special and privileged strategic partnership between India and Russia that has significantly matured over time, they said. 

"The importance of defining parameters of the future state structure of Afghanistan by the Afghans themselves, as well as the need to prevent the escalation of violence, social, ethnic and confessional contradictions in the country, were emphasized," said the Embassy of Russia in India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin had on August 24 discussed the developments in Afghanistan and expressed the view that it was important for the two countries to work together.

(With Agency inputs)