Modi-Ghani meet: No mention of strategic ties in security, defence

PM Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in New Delhi Tuesday. This shift has been anticipated, since there has been unease in Islamabad about New Delhi’s defence and security ties with Kabul.(Source: IE photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

Three and half years after India signed the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) with Afghanistan which allowed deepening security and defence cooperation, the Indo-Afghan joint statement Tuesday skipped mention of cooperation in these two strategic areas as the visiting Afghan President Ashraf Ghani met PM Narendra Modi.

This omission is a departure from the public stance of the previous Afghan government, which had negotiated the October 2011 SPA with India that allowed New Delhi to supply defence equipment to Kabul, if required.

The last joint statement signed between former Afghan President Hamid Karzai and PM Manmohan Singh in December 2013 had said, “The two leaders also agreed on deepening defence and security cooperation, including through enhancement in training and meeting the equipment and infrastructure needs of Afghanistan National Security and Defence Forces… The two leaders also agreed to expand opportunities for higher military education in India for Afghan officers.”

This shift has been anticipated, since there has been unease in Islamabad about New Delhi’s defence and security ties with Kabul. Ghani, who assumed office in September, has visited Pakistan to hold talks with the political and military leadership and is seen to be depending on Islamabad and Rawalpindi for its talks with Taliban.

India had also long delayed the supply of defence equipment requested by the Karzai government. But, India regularly trains Afghan officers from defence and police forces in its academies. Modi, on his part, said, “We are prepared to continue our support for capacity building of Afghan security forces. I am pleased that we have delivered three Cheetal helicopters to Afghanistan…”

The helicopters were delivered in April after missing several deadlines. They were expected to be delivered last year, but New Delhi had to equip them as per NATO requirements.

Ghani, on his part, was quiet on the defence and security ties in his speeches at Hyderabad House and Sapru House.

The only reference to the SPA was a carefully couched paragraph in the joint statement which said both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to patiently and systematically work towards strengthening of the India Afghanistan Strategic Partnership, with a clear focus on the long term relationship between them.

In an oblique reference to turf wars in Afghanistan, Ghani said, “Afghanistan is not a battlefield of proxy wars, it is not a buffer to be dominated.”

And, Modi, without mentioning Pakistan, said, “We have a shared interest in the success of an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process.

This should be conducted within the framework of the Constitution of Afghanistan without the shadow of violence. Its success requires a positive and constructive approach from neighbours, including an end to support for violence. We share Afghanistan’s pain over persisting terrorism and extremist violence that destroy lives and derail progress.”

India expects Kabul to safeguard its interests in Afghanistan. Modi said, “We are deeply grateful to the Afghan security forces, who protect our people in Afghanistan as they would their own.”

The Afghan President said his government was determined to make Afghanistan the “graveyard of terror”. “Terror must be confronted and must be overcome… Our will must not be underestimated and we will not be beaten to submission,” Ghani said. The Afghan President also said the “state systems” must “rise” to understand the challenge as “terrorism cannot be classified into good or bad”.

Source:: Indian Express