Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that Afghanistan’s territory must not be allowed to become a source of radicalisation and terrorism.
He made the statement while virtually addressing a G20 Extraordinary Summit on Afghanistan. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi chaired the summit.
The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan on August 15 in a lightning offensive as the United States and its allies pulled out its troops after a 20-year-war. The insurgent group’s return to power triggered turmoil in the country, with thousands making desperate attempts to leave the country from Kabul airport.
Modi said that a “unified international response” based on the United Nations Security Council’s resolution 2593 is necessary to improve the situation in the country.
The resolution, passed four days after a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport in August, demanded that Afghanistan’s territory should not be used to attack any other country or to train terrorists.
Modi also called on the international community to ensure that Afghanistan has “immediate and unhindered” access to humanitarian assistance, according to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs.
“The prime minister called for an inclusive administration in Afghanistan, which includes women and minorities,” the ministry said.
No world power has recognised the Taliban government yet. Pakistan, however, has urged nations to “engage” with the insurgent group and immediately help the new government prevent an imminent economic collapse.
Modi on Tuesday referred to developmental projects that India has promoted in Afghanistan in the past two decades. He said that India has implemented more than 500 such projects in the country.
The prime minister added that “every Indian feels the pain” of Afghan people facing hunger and malnutrition, the external affairs ministry said.
On August 30, the United Nations Security Council, under India’s presidency, adopted a resolution urging the Taliban to keep its commitments on preventing terror groups in Afghanistan.
On September 13, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said at a United Nations high-level meeting on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan that India was willing to stand by the Afghan people as it did in the past.
He had added that India’s approach to Afghanistan “has always been guided by its historical friendship with its people”.
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