By Ramtanu Maitra
Both Moscow and New Delhi are worried that the Taliban are gaining ground and that, despite the firepower Washington possesses, they could be back in the saddle in Kabul. What then?
According to a report by Agence France Presse, during the November summit discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and visiting Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the latter voiced concern over the Taliban threat in Afghanistan. "Events in Afghanistan cause anxiety; there exists a threat of the Taliban's return in one form or another," Vajpayee told Putin. The Russian president's reply, if there was one, was not reported.
But in a joint declaration following the summit, a paragraph was dedicated to Afghanistan, and the last sentence in that paragraph showed the concern: "India and the Russian Federation strongly believe that Afghanistan should emerge as a peaceful, strong prosperous, united and independent nation that would be free from external interference and living in peace and harmony with its neighbors." It is now on the record that neither India nor Russia really believes that Afghanistan, as it stands today, is emerging as a peaceful nation free from external interference. What they will do about it remains to be seen, but a review of the reasons for their mutual concern suggests some likely steps.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/EK26Df04.html
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