AMN / Doha
In the first formal and publicly acknowledged contact, Indian Ambassador to Qatar Deepak Mittal met senior Taliban leader Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai today and conveyed India’s concerns that Afghanistan’s soil should not be used for anti-Indian activities and terrorism.
Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai is the head of Taliban’s Political Office in Doha today.
The meeting took place at the Embassy of India, Doha, on the request of the Taliban side stated the Ministry of External Affairs in its press release.
“The discussions focused on safety, security and early return of Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan. The travel of Afghan nationals, especially minorities, who wish to visit to India also came up,” the statement said.
The Indian Ambassador also raised India’s concern that Afghanistan’s soil should not be used for anti-Indian activities and terrorism in any manner.
The Taliban Representative assured the Ambassador that these issues would be positively addressed, the statement concluded.
The last American aircraft left the Kabul airport in the early hours of Tuesday.
On Saturday, Stanekzai, in a clear overture, described India as an important country in the region and said the Taliban wants to maintain Afghanistan’s trade, economic and political relations with it.