India, Uzbekistan agree Taliban government must first gain legitimacy in Afghanistan before seeking global recognition

NSA Doval has bilateral meetings with Uzbek, Tajik counterparts before hosting top security officials of seven nations to discuss situation

Notwithstanding its recent outreach to the Taliban, Uzbekistan on Tuesday agreed with India that the so-called interim government the militant organization set up in Kabul should first gain the legitimacy within Afghanistan before seeking international recognition.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his counterpart in the Uzbek Government, Victor Makhmudov, had in a meeting in New Delhi. The meeting saw India and Uzbekistan agreeing that Afghanistan's future must be decided by no one else, but the people of the country, a source aware of the developments told DH after the meeting.

Also read: India to hold talks with Russia, Iran, others on Afghanistan again

They also agreed on the need for long-term economic development of Afghanistan.

Makhmudov is in New Delhi to attend the regional security dialogue, which Doval will host on Wednesday for consultation with his counterparts in Iran, Russia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan on the situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban of late returned to power taking advantage of the withdrawal of the United States and its allies.

Pakistan and its “iron brother” China turned down the invitation from India to take part in the meeting in New Delhi.

Read | Like Pakistan, China too turns down India's invite for talks on Afghanistan

A day before hosting the consultation on Afghanistan, the National Security Advisor had a bilateral meeting with his counterpart in the Uzbek Government. He also had a separate bilateral meeting with his counterpart in the Tajik Government, Nasrullo Rahmatjon Mahmudzoda, on Tuesday. He will hold similar bilateral meetings with Russian and Iranian counterparts on the sideline of the eight-nation consultation on Wednesday.

Doval's meeting with Makhmudov was significant as President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's government in Uzbekistan already had its diplomats meeting the officials of the interim government set up by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Unlike Tajikistan, Uzbekistan did not take a confrontational approach with the Taliban, not even after the organization returned to power through a swift military blitz across Afghanistan.

Also Read | ISIS poses a growing threat to new Taliban government in Afghanistan

The meeting between Doval and Makhmudov, however, saw India and Uzbekistan emphasizing the need for the neighbours of Afghanistan “to ensure unhindered access of humanitarian assistance” to the people of the war-torn country. They also agreed that neighbouring states must play a constructive role in Afghanistan, said the source.

The Taliban on September 8 announced an interim government for Afghanistan with no representation of women and the ethnic minorities of the country. New Delhi called out the Taliban dispensation in Kabul for lack of inclusiveness with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, himself, on September 17 urging the global community to tread cautiously on recognizing it.

Doval and his counterpart in the Tajik Government, Mahmudzoda, shared concerns over sharp increase in terrorist threats from Afghanistan. Mahmudzoda highlighted gravity of situation in Afghanistan. He and Doval also had a discussions on looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

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