Taliban on Thursday welcomed the eight-nation Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan that India hosted earlier this week, saying it had already addressed all the concerns raised during the conference. The Taliban said they are trying to improve governance, and countries should not be worried “about Afghanistan soil being used against anyone,” TOLOnews quoted deputy spokesman for the foreign ministry, Inamullah Samangani, as saying.

The Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan held on November 10 was attended by Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The talks were seen as India’s attempt to forge a regional alliance for confronting increasing threats of terrorism, radicalisation and drug trafficking from Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover of the country mid-August.  

Taliban run background checks within ranks to ‘find and eliminate’ IS members

Pakistan and China both declined to attend, with the former’s National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf chiding India for being “a spoiler” that was “trying to be a peacemaker.”

India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval while chairing the dialogue called for close consultations, greater cooperation and coordination among regional countries on the Afghan crisis. The developments in Afghanistan had important implications not only for the people of that country but also for its neighbours and the region, he said.

Can the world avert mass starvation in Afghanistan without emboldening the Taliban?

“I am confident that our deliberations will be productive, useful and will contribute to help the people in Afghanistan and enhance our collective security,” he added.

Meanwhile, senior officials from the US, China, Russia and Pakistan on Thursday called on the Taliban to sever ties with international terrorist groups and take steps for an “inclusive and representative” government in Kabul.

The Troika meeting of the special Afghan representatives of the four nations in Pakistan’s capital city Islamabad also pressed the Taliban to act against militant organisations operating inside Afghanistan.

The  meeting reviewed the latest situation in Afghanistan and said it expected that the Taliban to fulfill commitments to the international community, including action against the use of Afghan territory by terrorists against its neighbouring countries and the rest of the world.