Ajit Doval, Putin discuss strategic partnership

NEW DELHI: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval called on Russian President Vladimir Putin and agreed to continue work towards implementing the India-Russia strategic partnership, the Indian embassy in Moscow said on Thursday.

“NSA Ajit Doval called on HE President Putin. Wide-ranging discussion on bilateral and regional issues. Agreed to continue work towards implementing the India-Russia strategic partnership,” the embassy tweeted.

NSA Doval meets Putin, talks terror brewing in Kabul

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and the security chiefs of the other countries participating in the Fifth Regional Dialogue on Afghanistan held in Moscow on Wednesday.

According to a statement of the Russian Security Council, the Russian President in his remarks to the heads of delegations taking part in the multilateral consultations hit out at the US for ‘fleeing’ Afghanistan in August 2021 during the Taliban takeover.

He also said that international terror organisations are stepping up their activities in the Taliban ruled country.

“Unfortunately, since the American armed forces fled Afghanistan, the situation has not improved. International terrorist organisations are stepping up their activities, including al-Qaeda which is building up its potential. You know this very well. We are also worried about attempts to use the situation in Afghanistan to allow extra-regional forces to expand or build their infrastructure. These countries will create this under the pretext of countering international terrorism, but they are not doing anything that is really necessary in the real counter-terrorism struggle,” Putin said.

“Obviously, the situation in the country is not improving and we see this. The humanitarian situation is worsening. Millions of people about 4 million people according to our information are in need of urgent humanitarian aid. Drug trafficking is on the rise, and unfortunately, the fields are growing, too. I think 80 percent of opiates in the world market are from Afghanistan,” Putin said.

“The situation is very complicated, but we are doing all we can to find solutions. We have contacted the country’s leaders in Kabul. We know there are plans to implement large economic projects that could stabilise the situation in the economy,” he added.