When the US special envoy on reconciliation talks, Zalmay Khalilzad, came to India last month, New Delhi told him that it was not in favour of an interim government in Kabul and that any continuation of its economic largesse will depend on the ground situation in Afghanistan.
India’s views were expressed before the ‘successful’ six days of talks between the US and the Taliban in Doha. After both sides noted that there had been “significant progress”, the Indian foreign ministry spokesperson’s first official response stated the presidential elections should “take place as scheduled”. This was an indication of India’s message to the US conveyed behind closed doors.
Sources said that Indian officials told Khalilzad that New Delhi understood Washington’s reasons for urgency in withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan. Read More
