A high-level Taliban delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan’s interim government Abdul Salam Hanafi on the margins of a regional conference on Afghanistan hosted by Russia on Wednesday and reportedly discussed the need to address the concerns of both sides.
During the delegation met the Indian side expressed its readiness to provide extensive humanitarian assistance to the war-torn country, which is now ruled by the insurgent group.
The Indian delegation led by J P Singh, the joint secretary of the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division of the Ministry of External Affairs, which was here to attend the Moscow Format meeting at the invitation of Russia, held talks with the Taliban leaders on the sidelines of the conference, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a brief statement.
There was no official word from the Indian government on the meeting.
The Indian side expressed readiness to provide extensive humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, Mujahid was quoted as saying by Afghanistan’s Tolo news.
India has in the past provided assistance both for infrastructure as well as for humanitarian purposes to Afghanistan.
