India to be present at US-Taliban deal signing in Qatar`s Doha

New Delhi: India will be present at the signing of US-Taliban deal scheduled for February 29 in Doha, Qatar and Indian envoy in Doha, Kumaran will be representing India. The invite was sent by the government of Qatar. The state department in a release on February 21 had announced the agreement saying, "We are preparing for the signing to take place on February 29."

The deal hinges on "reduction of violence" and so far no major violence has happened in the landlocked South-Asian country. In the same release, the state department said, "Intra-Afghan negotiations will start soon thereafter, and will build on this fundamental step to deliver a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire and the future political roadmap for Afghanistan."

The Taliban in its release confirmed the development saying, "Both parties will now create a suitable security situation in advance of agreement signing date, extend invitations to senior representatives of numerous countries and organizations to participate in the signing ceremony, make arrangements for the release of prisoners, structure a path for intra-Afghan negotiations with various political parties of the country."

Afghanistan and the US Taliban peace deal was discussed during US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meet in Delhi during the latter's visit.

Trump in response to a question during his Delhi press conference said, "I think India would like to see it happen. I spoke with Prime Minister Modi today, and I think they would very much like to see it happen. We’re pretty close, we’ll see what’s going on. We’ve got two days now under our belt without violence or, I guess, a minimum of violence and we’ll see what happens. But people want to see it."

India is Afghanistan's major development partner and has built the India-Afghanistan friendship dam in the western province of Herat and the Afghan Parliament in Kabul.