NEW DELHI - Real negotiations will start now, Indian foreign minister said on Monday, referring to intra-Afghan talks following the US-Taliban deal.
SubrahmanyamJaishankar noted that a lot has changed in Afghanistan since 2001 when Taliban were ousted from power, adding gains must be protected.
“To US and West our message has been that it’s in global interest that the achievements of the last 18 years are secured, protected and not jeopardized,” Jaishankar said speaking at the Centre for Policy Research’s Dialogue 2020. “To my mind the real negotiations will start now and then we have to see the assumptions that we had, how cohesive are various players and what are their demands.”
“Does Taliban join a democratic setup or a democratic setup adjusts to Taliban?...We are all watching this space,” the minister said.
Intra-Afghan peace talks are scheduled to start on March 10, according to the deal. (1TV NEWS)