Taliban willing to co-operate if NSA works for peace and stability in Afghanistan

New Delhi: Reacting to the Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan held in Delhi yesterday, Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen was quoted by News18 as welcoming the NSA-level meeting if it contributed to the strengthening of peace and stability in Afghanistan.

"If they (NSAs) have said that they will work for the people of Afghanistan for the reconstruction, peace and stability of the country that is our objective. The people of Afghanistan want peace and stability because they have suffered a lot in the last few years. Right now, we want the economic projects in the country to be completed and new projects to start. We also want job opportunities for our people. So we agree with what has been said (at the NSA-level meeting)," he told the news portal.

The meeting was chaired by India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and hosted 8 nations including security heads from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan along with Russia and Iran. 5 Central Asian countries were present at the meet for the first time. Pakistan and China both refused to participate, with Pakistan alleging that India had a 'negative' role in Afghanistan affairs and the region in general. Shaheen did not comment on Pakistani refusal to participate, only saying that it was up to the nation to decide whether it was willing to or not

Shaheen expressed solidarity with the meet's participants who said that Afghanistan should not be used for terrorist activities, stating that the Taliban would abide by the Doha Agreement, to not allow any individual, entity or group to use the soil of Afghanistan against another country. This was also confirmed by Taliban acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, Shaheen claimed.

During his opening remarks in the meeting, Ajit Doval had said that India was privileged to host the meeting and would be keeping a close eye on developments in Afghanistan since the fall of the US-backed government in September. Security issues raised during the meeting included worries of terrorism, regional conflict as well as increased drug trafficking in the region, although most security heads assured their intent to help the people of Afghanistan.