MOSCOW: The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to hold talks on Afghanistan during his visit to Russia amid deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan with rampant Taliban insurgency as well as the emergent loyalists of Islamic State terror group who are often conducting terrorist related activities in parts
of the country.
Modi is arriving in Russia where he will hold talks with the Russian officials on issues of bilateral interest and is expected to arrive in Kabul on Friday for the inauguration of the India built new Afghan
parliament building.
According to local media reports, talks on terrorism will mainly focus on Afghanistan with the conclusion of the negotiations to help New Delhi take a stand when Prime Minister Modi visits Kabul on Friday.
There has been no elaboration regarding PM Modi’s stand in the local media reports, however India’s former ambassador to Russia, Kanwal Sibal, was of the opinion that Russia might discuss Syria with India but the main focus will be Afghanistan.
The spotlight “would be on what is happening in the Afghanistan-Pak region. The presence of the Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan is of concern for Russia. It is also a concern for India as destabilization of Afghanistan and extremist activity there is a problem for us,” Sibal quoted by Times of India said.
This comes as India expected to take more constructive role in supporting the Afghan government to fight the militant groups.
India has already delivered a Mi-25 gunship helicopter to Afghanistan and will deliver additional three helicopters in the near future in a bid to help boost the capabilities of the Afghan forces and Afghan Air
Force.