External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday held a “productive” conversation with his Afghan counterpart Mohammed Haneef Atmar on the long-awaited peace process aimed at ending the nearly two decades of conflict in that country.
The external affairs minister said on Twitter that he reaffirmed India’s “development partnership” with Afghanistan besides discussing recent developments in the country.
The telephonic conversation between Jaishankar and Atmar, the acting foreign minister of Afghanistan, came 10 days after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani agreed to release 400 Taliban prisoners paving the way for the beginning of the peace process.
“A productive conversation with Acting FM @MHaneefAtmar of #Afghanistan. Greeted him on Afghan Independence Day. Discussed recent developments in Afghanistan and our bilateral cooperation. Reaffirmed our development partnership and connectivity linkages,” Jaishankar tweeted.
India has been a major stakeholder in the peace and stability of Afghanistan. It has already invested USD two billion in aid and reconstruction activities in the country.
India has been supporting a national peace and reconciliation process which is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan controlled.