External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Thursday, 29 July, said that there must be a negotiated political settlement in Afghanistan and there cannot be a takeover of the war-torn country by use of force, reported IANS.
The EAM was replying to questions of the members in the Rajya Sabha.
Replying to a supplementary question asked by Swapan Dasgupta on China talking to Taliban, Jaishankar said, "There cannot be a military solution, there cannot be a takeover by use of force in Afghanistan. We will work with international community to ensure that political negotiations for a settlement are pursued seriously and we would never accept an outcome which is decided by force."
The minister said that he had a detailed discussion with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the issue of Afghanistan on Wednesday, adding that there is strong convergence between India and the United States on this issue.
Post the meeting on Wednesday, Jaishankar had tweeted saying, "A wide ranging and productive discussion today with @SecBlinken. Useful in mapping out the next steps in our bilateral partnership. Strong convergence of views on many regional concerns. Agreed to work closely on multilateral and global issues."
Later in the day, the Ministry of External Affairs also spoke about Afghanistan in its briefing, and said that India is "closely monitoring developments in Afghanistan."
"I would like to reiterate that India, and the world, wishes to see an independent, sovereign, democratic and stable Afghanistan, at peace with itself and neighbours. Unilateral imposition of will by any party will not be democratic, cannot lead to stability, and cannot provide legitimacy. Gains over the last two decades should be preserved," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday.
(With inputs from IANS.)
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