India said on Thursday it is still engaged in discussions with Pakistan to work out modalities for supplying life-saving medicines and 50,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan but insisted that no conditions should be attached to the shipment of relief materials.
At the same time, India continues to be part of discussions on Afghanistan with various countries in different formats, external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told a regular news briefing.
Pakistan has linked its decision to allow India to transport the wheat and medicines as humanitarian aid to Afghanistan to the condition that relief materials be moved only by Pakistani trucks. The two sides have been engaged in discussions since last week to find a solution to the impasse in view of the looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
India made the proposal for shipping the wheat and medicines to the Afghan people via Pakistani soil on October 7, and received a response from the Pakistan government only on November 24, Bagchi said.
“Since then, we have had discussions with Pakistan on the modalities of this supply. These discussions are ongoing. Let me reiterate our belief that humanitarian assistance should not be subject to conditionalities,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“Since then, we have had discussions with Pakistan on the modalities of this supply. These discussions are ongoing. Let me reiterate our belief that humanitarian assistance should not be subject to conditionalities,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}The modalities being worked out by the two sides will cover various issues, Bagchi said without going into details.
The Indian side is keen on using its own trucks as it wants to ensure the relief materials directly reach the Afghan people without being diverted. The Indian side also envisages the aid will be distributed only through the UN, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity.
Bagchi said the meeting of senior security officials of regional countries, including Iran and Russia, that was hosted by India last month had offered an opportunity for nations with similar perspectives to share views, exchange ideas and “identify from a security perspective what is the way forward” in Afghanistan.
“Issues were identified and India continues to be a part of discussions on Afghanistan with various countries in different formats,” he added.
India and the world community’s expectations regarding Afghanistan are clearly outlined in UN Security Council resolution 2593, he said. This resolution, adopted in August, states that efforts should be made to form an inclusive government in Kabul and that Afghan soil should not be used to plan or execute terror attacks against any country.