India, US Call On Taliban To Adhere To Commitments; Say Afghan Soil Cannot Be Used To Attack Any Country

Joe Biden stated that the US and India will grow closer and stronger because the two countries share a responsibility to uphold democratic values and a commitment to diversity. The US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about counterterrorism in Afghanistan during their meeting.

Humanitarian Aid To Afghanistan

The Afghan government has been urged also by India and the United States to honor its commitments and respect the human rights of its countrymen, particularly women and children.

They have also requested that the territor does not serve as a platform for terrorism, threats, or attacks against other countries. The US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the importance of battling terrorism in Afghanistan in a joint statement after their first bilateral meeting at the White House on Friday.

Their joint statement said that they reiterated the importance of fighting terrorism in Afghanistan and resolved that the Taliban must follow UNSC Resolution 2593 (2021), which stipulates that no one within the boundaries of Afghanistan can threaten or attack any country, shelter, or train terrorists, or plan terrorist attacks.

Resolution 2593 on Afghanistan, adopted under the Indian presidency in August, has demanded that the Afghan territory cannot be used for threats or attacks on other countries, or to shelter terrorists, or to plan or finance terrorist attacks, and highlighted that Afghanistan needs to combat terrorism, including targeting those specified under resolution 1267 (1999) and noted the Taliban’s commitments in that regard.

Biden and Modi called on the Taliban to fulfill these and other promises, including a safe, secure, and orderly withdrawal of Afghans and foreigners from Afghanistan. Kabul was seized by the Taliban on August 15; an interim cabinet of 33 members, including 17 UN-designated terrorists, was formed.

In addition to urging the Taliban to give full, safe, direct, and unimpeded access to the UN, its specialized agencies, humanitarian partners, and all humanitarian relief workers involved in the humanitarian relief activities, according to a press release, the leaders also discussed humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. 

According to the statement, they committed to working together with partners toward an inclusive and peaceful future for all Afghans, reflecting their long-term commitment to the promotion of development and economic opportunity for Afghans.

Terrorism

A previous UNSC resolution had condemned the horrific attack of August 26 near Kabul’s Hamid Karzai Airport, which was carried out by Islamic State affiliates in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Taliban’s condemnation of this attack was noted in the resolution.

S Jaishankar, the Minister of External Affairs, said this week the world should expect an inclusive process that incorporates Afghans from all walks of life and honors the Taliban’s commitment not to use Afghan soil for terrorism. During the sidelines of the 76th UN General Assembly, Jaishankar had spoken to the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting about the importance of the international community uniting to meet humanitarian needs in Afghanistan. Those in need should be assisted in an unrestricted, unhindered, and direct manner.

Developments In Afghanistan

The Taliban gained control of virtually all key towns and cities across Afghanistan as US forces began withdrawing on May 1. Afghanistan’s capital city of Kabul was captured earlier this month by the insurgents. Several weeks after Kabul was captured, the Taliban announced their victory in the last province of Panjshir, effectively taking over Afghanistan.

Ghulam Isaczai, Afghanistan’s ambassador to the United Nations, said during a United Nations address earlier this month that the new government announced by the Taliban is anything but inclusive, and the Afghan people will refuse to accept a government excluding women and minorities. Moreover, he asked the world organization to reject re-establishing the Islamic Emirate.