NEW DELHI: For the second time in as many days, the Taliban on Monday reached out to India with a leading member of the group saying that it wants trade with New Delhi through Pakistan.
On Sunday, the Taliban’s top leadership in Doha said that India is an important country and that it wants to have friendly relations with all neighbours.
The offer was made by Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai in a video which was aired on the social media accounts of the Taliban. It was the first official statement on India by the Taliban since taking over the reins of Afghanistan on August 15.
"We attach great importance to our trade, economic and political relations with India and want to maintain that relation," Stanekzai said on Saturday.
"We also need to keep the air trade open," he was quoted as saying by Pakistani media outlet Independent Urdu.
The Taliban leader was referring to the air corridor between India and Afghanistan that was established to boost trade between the two countries in view of Pakistan's denial to allow transit access.
Stanekzai also described India as an "important country" in the region.
Without elaborating, he said Afghanistan's trade with India through Pakistan is "very important".
In his address, the Taliban leader also referred to Afghanistan's relations with Pakistan, China and Russia.
He said consultations are going on among the Taliban leadership and with different ethnic groups and political parties about the formation of an "inclusive government" in Kabul.
"Currently, the Taliban leadership is consulting with different ethnic groups, political parties and within the Islamic Emirate about forming a government that has to be accepted both inside and outside Afghanistan and to be recognised," Stanekzai was quoted as saying by Tolo News.
Following the Taliban seizing control of Afghanistan, India has been focussing on the evacuation of its citizens, while carefully monitoring the unfolding developments in Kabul.
"The situation on the ground is uncertain. The prime concern at present is the security and safety of the people. Currently, there is a lack of clarity or no clarity about any entity forming a government in Kabul," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Friday when asked whether India will recognise a Taliban regime.
Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla told leaders of various political parties on Thursday that India is engaged with the key stakeholders and regional countries on the Afghan crisis.
He also said India is adopting a "wait-and-watch" approach to see whether the new dispensation in Afghanistan will be solely a government of the Taliban or be part of a power-sharing arrangement with other Afghan leaders.
India has been a key stakeholder in Afghanistan and has invested nearly USD 3 billion in carrying out around 500 projects across the country.
Stanekzai was part of a group of foreign cadets who received training at the prestigious Indian Military Academy in Dehradun in the early 1980s.
He later quit the Afghan Army.
Incidentally, Stanekzai had made a similar offer in 1996 as the deputy foreign minister of the Taliban regime. He is an alumnus of the Indian Military Academy, where he took training in 1980s.
Russia-based analyst Andrew Korybko said New Delhi should take the overtures seriously.
“If the Taliban only made one positive statement about India, then it might be dismissed as simple diplomatic decorum, but twice in two days is a trend. The group is clearly signaling something to India so it would be a good idea for New Delhi to establish some form of contact at least to see what else it has to say.”
The Taliban’s advances towards India show that the group aspires to have cordial relations with all countries without exception, he said.
“The specific focus on India shows that the Taliban values New Delhi’s $3 billion development projects over the past two decades. This also serves to show that the modern-day iteration of the Taliban isn’t controlled by Pakistan even if it retains close ties with it,” Korybko said, adding that India would do well to reciprocate to the advances made by the Taliban.
Meanwhile, the United States has begun a new diplomatic mission in Afghanistan, Secretary of State Tony Blinken said as the US withdrew its last troops from the country ending the 20-year war in the South Asian nation.
Blinken said the US has shut down its diplomatic mission in Kabul and moved the embassy to Doha in Qatar.
"Now, US military flights have ended, and our troops have departed Afghanistan. A new chapter of America's engagement with Afghanistan has begun. It's one in which we will lead with our diplomacy. The military mission is over. A new diplomatic mission has begun," Blinken said in his address to the nation.
More than 1,23,000 people have been safely flown out of Afghanistan, including about 6,000 American citizens, he said.
This has been a massive military, diplomatic, and humanitarian undertaking -- one of the most difficult in the US history -- and an extraordinary feat of logistics and coordination under some of the most challenging circumstances imaginable, Blinken added.
"As of today, we have suspended our diplomatic presence in Kabul, and transferred our operations to Doha, Qatar, which will soon be formally notified to Congress. Given the uncertain security environment and political situation in Afghanistan, it was the prudent step to take," he said.
"And let me take this opportunity to thank our outstanding charge d'affaires in Kabul, Ambassador Ross Wilson, who came out of retirement in January 2020 to lead our embassy in Afghanistan, and has done exceptional, courageous work during a highly challenging time," Blinken said.
"For the time being, we will use this post in Doha to manage our diplomacy with Afghanistan, including consular affairs, administering humanitarian assistance, and working with allies, partners, and regional and international stakeholders to coordinate our engagement and messaging to the Taliban. Our team there will be led by Ian McCary, who has served as our deputy chief of mission in Afghanistan for this past year. No one's better prepared to do the job," he added.
Blinken said the US will stay focused on counterterrorism.
"The Taliban has made a commitment to prevent terrorist groups from using Afghanistan as a base for external operations that could threaten the United States or our allies, including Al-Qaida and the Taliban's sworn enemy, ISIS-K. Here too, we will hold them accountable to that commitment," he said.
"But while we have expectations of the Taliban, that doesn't mean we will rely on the Taliban. We'll remain vigilant in monitoring threats ourselves. And we'll maintain robust counterterrorism capabilities in the region to neutralise those threats, if necessary, as we demonstrated in the past few days by striking ISIS facilitators and imminent threats in Afghanistan, and as we do in places around the world where we do not have military forces on the ground," Blinken said.
He said the US will continue its relentless efforts to help Americans, foreign and Afghan nationals who want to leave the war-torn country.
"Of those who self-identified as Americans in Afghanistan, who were considering leaving the country, we've thus far received confirmation that about 6,000 have been evacuated or otherwise departed. This number will likely continue to grow as our outreach and arrivals continue," he added.
Blinken said that there are still a small number of Americans -- under 200 and likely closer to 100 -- who remain in Afghanistan and want to leave.
"We're trying to determine exactly how many. We're going through manifests and calling and texting through our lists, and we'll have more details to share, as soon as possible. Part of the challenge with fixing a precise number is that there are long-time residents of Afghanistan who have American passports, and who were trying to determine whether or not they wanted to leave," Blinken added.
He said the protection and welfare of Americans abroad remains the State Department's most vital and enduring mission.
"If an American in Afghanistan tells us that they want to stay for now, and then in a week or a month or a year they reach out and say, 'I've changed my mind', we will help them leave," he said.
"Additionally, we've worked intensely to evacuate and relocate Afghans who worked alongside us, and are at particular risk of reprisal. We've gotten many out, but many are still there. We will keep working to help them. Our commitment to them has no deadline. Third, we will hold the Taliban to its pledge to let people freely depart Afghanistan," he added.
Blinken said the Taliban has committed to let anyone with proper documents leave the country in a safe and orderly manner.
"On Friday, a senior Taliban official said it again on television and radio, and I quote: "Any Afghans may leave the country, including those who work for Americans, if they want and for whatever reason there may be', end quote. More than half the world's countries have joined us in insisting that the Taliban let people travel outside Afghanistan freely," he said.
"As of today, more than 100 countries have said that they expect the Taliban to honor travel authorisations by our countries. And just a few hours ago, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution that enshrines that responsibility -- laying the groundwork to hold the Taliban accountable if they renege," he added.
He also said the group can do this by meeting its commitments and obligations.
"The Taliban seeks international legitimacy and support. Our message is: any legitimacy and any support will have to be earned," Blinken said in an address to the nation hours after the US concluded its mission to Afghanistan early Tuesday.
"The Taliban can do that by meeting commitments and obligations, on freedom of travel; respecting the basic rights of the Afghan people, including women and minorities; upholding its commitments on counterterrorism; not carrying out reprisal violence against those who choose to stay in Afghanistan; and forming an inclusive government that can meet the needs and reflect the aspirations of the Afghan people," he said.
Blinken said the US engaged with the Taliban during the past few weeks for evacuation operations.
"Going forward, any engagement with a Taliban-led government in Kabul will be driven by one thing only: our vital national interests."
"If we can work with a new Afghan government in a way that helps secure those interests, including the safe return of Mark Frerichs, a US citizen who has been held hostage in the region since early last year, and in a way that brings greater stability to the country and region and protects the gains of the past two decades, we will do it," he added.
"But we will not do it on the basis of trust or faith. Every step we take will be based not on what a Taliban-led government says, but what it does to live up to its commitments," Blinken said.
He said the US will continue its humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.
"We believe we can accomplish far more, and exert far greater leverage, when we work in coordination with our allies and partners. Over the last two weeks, we've had a series of intensive diplomatic engagements with allies and partners to plan and coordinate the way ahead in Afghanistan," he said.
"I've met with the foreign ministers of NATO and the G7. I've spoken one-on-one with dozens of my counterparts. Last week, President Biden met with the leaders of the G7 countries. And Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman has been convening a group of 28 allies and partners from all regions of the world every other day," he said.
Going forward, he said, the US will coordinate closely with countries in the region and around the world as well as with leading international organisations, NGOs and the private sector.
"Our allies and partners share our objectives and are committed to working with us," Blinken said.
(With PTI Inputs)