NEW DELHI: In a significant regional security outreach, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Zamir Kabulov recently visited Delhi and held discussions with NSA Ajit Doval and foreign secretary S Jaishankar, top government sources told TOI.
The government has not yet made the visit public keeping in mind the sensitive nature of the discussions but official sources here said all issues related to regional security were discussed, with special focus on the developing situation in Afghanistan and the role of Pakistan. As Putin’s special representative, Kabulov is responsible for Moscow’s Afghanistan policy. TOI had first reported on September 20 that Russia, which wants dialogue with the Taliban, had proposed a visit by Kabulov to engage India more in the Afghanistan peace process . This was shortly after the US outlined its new policy on Afghanistan over which Moscow continues to nurse serious reservations.
Russia’s insistence on engaging the Taliban and its recent overemphasis on Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan seemed to suggest a divergence of interests with India. Moscow believes that the real threat to the region comes from Islamic State and not Taliban. Kabulov is believed to have reiterated before top Indian officials Russia’s position that the US finds itself stranded in a veritable cul-de-sac with Taliban now controlling over 40% of Afghan territory and that these circumstances warranted talks with those in the Taliban who were willing to give up violence.
Russia’s growing strategic proximity to Pakistan too has been an area of concern for India. After the US proclamation of its Afghanistan policy, Kabulov was quick to defend Pakistan saying that Islamabad had a critical role in ensuring stability in the region. Russia, though, has been supportive of India’s position on cross-border terrorism as is evident from its recent support to the government in convincing China to drop its opposition to the naming of terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in the Xiamen Brics declaration.
It is in these interesting times that Russia’s new ambassador, Nikolay Kudashev, has arrived in India. The ambassador-designate (he is yet to present his credentials) met Jaishankar on Friday. In a welcome address earlier this month, Kudashev said cooperation with India constituted a top priority of Russia’s foreign policy. “Our friendly relations have acquired the status of special and privileged strategic partnership, and we strive to infuse it with new dimensions and meanings,” he said.
Significantly, he also said Moscow viewed the growing influence of Delhi as a natural and long-awaited trend of international affairs. “Such multilateral fora as the UN, Brics, SCO, G20 offer us vast opportunities for fruitful cooperation on topical issues of global peace and security, I will spare no effort in bringing Russian-Indian relations to new heights and adding new milestones to the glorious bilateral history,” he said.
Source:- Times Of India
envoyonline.wordpress.com 