Jaishankar, Asked About India's Outlook Towards Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan, Had This to Say

India is “carefully following” the developments in Afghanistan after the Taliban took charge of the country, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New York on Wednesday. However, the Cabinet Minister clarified that the “relationship with Afghan people will obviously continue”.

“At this point of time, we’re looking at what is the situation in Kabul. Obviously, Taliban and its representatives have come to Kabul. So we need to take it on from there,” Jaishankar told reporters when asked ‘had India has any communication with the extremist group in recent days.

Jaishankar, who is currently in New York attending an emergency meeting convened by the UN Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan, said that right now India is “focused on securing the safe return of Indian nationals”.

“At the moment, we are, like everybody else, very carefully following developments in Afghanistan. Our focus is on ensuring security in Afghanistan and the safe return of Indian nationals,” he said on being asked how India will “deal with the Taliban”.

In response to another question on India’s investments in Afghanistan over the last two decades and whether New Delhi will be engaged in Afghanistan now that the Taliban is in control, he said: you used the word investment. I mean, for us, it reflected what was a historical relationship with the Afghan people.

The C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the Indian Air Force carrying around 150 people, including diplomats, officials, security personnel and some stranded Indians, landed at the Hindon airbase near the national capital at around 5 PM after a brief halt at Jamnagar in Gujarat, in the wake of escalating tension, fear and uncertainty gripping the Afghan capital after its take over by the Taliban two days back.

It was the second evacuation flight as another C-17 aircraft brought back around 40 people from the Hamid Karzai International (HKI) Airport in Kabul on Monday as part of India’s emergency evacuation mission that was carried out following coordination with relevant authorities including US officials handling security at the airport in the Afghan capital.

Meanwhile, Jaishankar arrived in New York on Monday for the UNSC meeting on Afghanistan, the second time in just over the 10 days that the powerful UN body met under India’s Presidency for the month of August to discuss the situation in the war-torn country.

He also met Estonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Eva-Maria Liimets and as UNSC members, discussed our working together on maritime and cyber security and other global issues. Exchanged views on the developments in Afghanistan. Look forward to her presence at the Council meeting tomorrow. Jaishankar also discussed the “latest developments in Afghanistan with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and underlined the urgency of restoring airport operations in Kabul. Deeply appreciate the American efforts underway in this regard.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that Blinken spoke with Jaishankar today about Afghanistan and the developing situation there. Jaishankar said he also discussed the evolving situation in Afghanistan with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian.

We will continue to coordinate in the UN Security Council. Thank him for evacuating 21 Indian nationals from Kabul to Paris, he added. India on Tuesday rushed back home its ambassador Rudrendra Tandon and staff from the embassy in Kabul in a military transport aircraft following escalating tension, fear and uncertainty gripping the Afghan capital after the Taliban insurgents seized the Afghan capital on Sunday.

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