India has cautioned Afghanistan over peace talks with the Taliban, saying the new initiative should not violate the “red lines” drawn by the international community.
“We have from time to time reminded all stakeholders about the red lines that were drawn by the world community and certainly by the participants should not be touched, should not be erased and should not be violated,” Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid told reporters on Thursday.
Khurshid’s comments came a day after the Afghan Taliban announced opening of their political office in Qatari capital Doha and expressed willingness to hold peace talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s government and other stakeholders.
“The talks are being held between the high peace council and the chosen representatives of Taliban. Of course, the US had its role in encouraging this, perhaps even in precipitating this,” said Khurshid, who is in Baghdad on a two-day official visit.
“But ultimately it’s between sovereign government of Afghanistan and citizens of Afghanistan who happens to pursue the ideology of the Taliban,” he said.
“We have also said ultimately it is for Afghanistan to take its own decisions and to ensure that the peace initiative should be Afghanistan-own and Afghanistan-driven. I will expect the latest initiative would not depart from position,” he said.
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