India set to join Russia-Pakistan-China trilateral meet on Afghanistan
Updated: Feb 08, 2017 00:56 IST
By J Jacob , HT, New Delhi
The Russia, China and Panistan trilateral was projected as an intiative for Afghanistan, but did not go down well with Afghanistan. Among the issues the countries plan on discussing now is the growing threat of Islamic State in Afghanistan which threatens to spill over.
India will join Russia-Pakistan-China-trilateral on Afghanistan, which had upset Kabul in the past, for the first time.
Afghanistan will also attend the meeting to be held in Moscow on February 15. India will be represented by a joint secretary- level official, sources said. Iran is another likely participant at the meet. The Russian had invited India to attend the grouping during the visit of national security advisor Ajit Doval to Russia last week. Doval had a meeting on a wide range of security and counter-terrorism issues with Russian security council Chief Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, a confidant of president Vladmir Putin.
According to sources India was willing to join the grouping provided Afghanistan was on board. Though Russia had maintained Russia-Pakistan-China trilateral as one of the many initiatives on Afghanistan, the move did not down well with Afghanistan.
The three countries had also said they are concerned about the growing threat of Islamic State in Afghanistan which threatens to spill over.
Russian envoy Vitaly Churkin, told the UN Security Council in December that deteriorating security situation has given a fillip to the IS militants escaping Syria and Iraq to take refuge in Afghanistan.
The grouping will now also discuss the security situation in Afghanistan and the peace process with Taliban.
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