India and five central Asian countries, expressed their shared belief that Afghanistan should not be a base for terrorist activities. This declaration came as India announced that it would provide an additional 20,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan. The wheat will be supplied in partnership with the UN World Food Programme and will be sent through the Chabahar Port in Iran.
This move comes several months after India pledged to provide 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan. The consignments were sent using the land route through Pakistan, which was granted after months of discussions.
During the first meeting of the India-Central Asia joint working group on Afghanistan in New Delhi, the participants discussed regional threats of terrorism, extremism, radicalisation, and drug trafficking. They explored ways to jointly counter these threats and emphasised that Afghanistan’s territory should not be used for sheltering, training, planning, or financing any terrorist acts.
Representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan attended the meeting alongside UN representatives from the Office on Drugs and Crimes and the World Food Programme.They exchanged views on the current situation in Afghanistan, including the political, security, and humanitarian aspects. While emphasising the respect for sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, and non-interference in its internal affairs, they reiterated support for a peaceful, secure, and stable Afghanistan.
