The evolving situation in Afghanistan and its implications on regional security dominated the conversation at separate meetings that the top Indian leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, held with visiting Russian NSA Nikolay Patrushev and CIA chief William J Burns.
A Russian government statement said that following up on the telephone conversation between Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 24, an “exchange of views took place on the military, political and socio-economic situation in Afghanistan” at Patrushev’s meetings on Wednesday.
“The two sides reaffirmed their intention to strengthen coordination in the field of enhancing regional stability, including on the Afghan situation,” said the statement. They discussed “deepening bilateral cooperation in the field of security with an emphasis on further interaction on the anti-terrorist track, combating illegal migration and drug trafficking”.
In contrast, Burns’ meetings with the top Indian leadership on Tuesday, especially in the security and strategic establishment on the situation in Afghanistan, was kept under wraps. Burns is learnt to have met Doval and top brass in the intelligence and security establishment.
Both Indian and American officials were tight-lipped about the visit, but several sources confirmed his visit and agenda — to discuss the Afghanistan situation. He is expected to go to Pakistan as well.
Burns had visited Afghanistan last month to meet the Taliban leadership, including Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. The visit came in the backdrop of the precarious security situation which posed a challenge for the US’s evacuation efforts.
According to the Russian statement, at the meeting between Patrushev and Doval, “attention was paid to intensifying joint work of both the countries’ special services and military bodies”.