Delhi declaration marks India’s return to Afghanistan

On November 10, India hosted the third Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan in New Delhi. Unlike the past two iterations sponsored by Iran, the Delhi Meet was conspicuous by the absence of Afghan officials from the dialogue. The new Afghan regime dominated by the Haqqani Network was not invited to the meeting, whereas its prime backer, Pakistan, was invited but refused to attend, calling India a “spoiler” to the peace in Afghanistan. Beijing, a close ally of Islamabad, also opted out of the meeting, citing “scheduling difficulties”.Yet, the meeting in New Delhi led by NSA Ajit Doval remains vital to the geopolitical developments in the region. The meeting was attended by top security officials of Russia, Iran and the five Central Asian states – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.What came out of the Delhi Declaration? The deterioration of regional security due to the emerging threats of terrorism, radicalisation and drug trafficking emanating from political stability in Afghanistan remained the focus of the meeting. In the Delhi Declaration, the common concerns of the participants came out prominently with their reiteration of “strong support” for stability in Afghanistan and a call for “non-interference in its internal affairs”. They also emphasised that Afghanistan’s territory should not be used for “sheltering, training, planning or financing any terrorist acts” against the neighbours and reaffirmed their “firm commitment to combat terrorism in all its form and manifestations”.While Pakistan was not named, the Iranian concerns with the ISI domination in Afghanistan came into the forefront with the participants’ stress upon forming an “open and truly inclusive government” that includes all the “major ethno-political forces in the country”. It is important to note that ever since the Taliban victory in August 2015, Iran has consistently raised the issue of the exclusion of Persian/Dari speaking minority groups from the government. Mainly, the role of the ISI in imposing a Haqqani Network dominated government in Afghanistan had elicited strong reactions in Tehran. Though the Taliban had subsequently included some members from northern Afghanistan, it is clear that Iran would continue to focus on securing its allies’ interests in Afghanistan.The importance given to “providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan” in the Delhi Declaration also high- lighted India’s concerns. From the Indian point of view, the participant countries’ support for humanitarian assistance to be provided in an “unimpeded, direct and assured manner to Afghanistan” was a gesture of support for New Delhi’s efforts to send aid to Afghanistan. It also underlines the regional opposition to Islamabad’s obstructive tactics in refusing to allow transit permission to the trucks waiting on the Indian side of the border. Similarly, the Declaration’s mention of the “central role” of the UN in Afghanistan was tacit approval of the UNSC resolution 2593, which prohibits safe havens to terror outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, passed during India’s presidency of the Security Council in August this year.Has India got its focus back on Afghanistan? Ever since the Taliban victory, New Delhi has struggled to remain relevant to the developments in Kabul. On the other hand, having secured its strategic depth on its western border, Pakistan’s determination to not let India play any major role in Afghanistan is a geographic reality that remains difficult to overcome.In this regard, making a common cause with other regional powers is the only feasible solution for New Delhi. By hosting a regional security meeting on Afghanistan, India has belatedly underscored its security concerns with the regional developments. While the prospects of the Taliban-Pakistan fallout remain high until the ISI’s domination generates domestic backlash in Afghanistan, a concerted effort with like-minded regional powers is the only option for regional stability.This article was published in Newstrail newspaper on November 12, 2021.