Delhi Declaration On Afghanistan: 8 Nations Stress Need For 'Open & Truly Inclusive' Govt

Delhi Declaration On Afghanistan: The leaders emphasised “the respect for sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and non-interference in its internal affairs.”

Delhi Declaration On Afghanistan

New Delhi: The third Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan held in New Delhi today, concluded with a joint statement from the eight participating nations stressing “the necessity of forming an open and truly inclusive government” in Afghanistan.

The National Security Advisers and Secretaries of the National Security Councils of India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan participated in the meeting.

The representatives of the eight nations discussed the evolving situation in Afghanistan and concluded with strong support for a peaceful, secure, and stable Afghanistan.

The leaders emphasised “the respect for sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and non-interference in its internal affairs.”

The Delhi Declaration On Afghanistan mentions a truly inclusive government should be there that "represents the will of all the people of Afghanistan and has representation from all sections of their society, including major ethno-political forces in the country."

Meanwhile, in the Delhi Declaration on Afghanistan, the name Taliban nowhere finds a mention or acknowledgment of its interim government. 

According to Delhi Declaration, Afghanistan’s territory should not be used for sheltering, training, planning, or financing any terrorist acts. They also expressed concern over the “menace of radicalization, extremism, separatism and drug trafficking in the region.”

The importance of ensuring that the fundamental rights of women, children, and minority communities are not violated was also discussed in the meeting.

The leaders also expressed concern over the deteriorating socio-economic and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and underlined the need to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.

The representatives of the eight nations “condemned in the strongest terms all terrorist activities and reaffirmed their firm commitment to combat terrorism” to ensure that the Afghan soil would never become a safe haven for global terrorism.

They emphasised on the  “inclusion of all sections of the society in the administrative and political structure is imperative for the successful national reconciliation process in the country.”

The leaders also reiterated their commitment to providing assistance to Afghanistan to prevent the spread of COVID-19.