Afghanistan Foreign Minister Haneef Atmar is likely to visit New Delhi on 21 March amid the renewed push for accelerating the Afghan peace process. The visit comes days after the US proposed a participatory government in Afghanistan to help “accelerate” the stalled peace process. 

An Indian delegation led by MEA Joint Secretary (PAI division) J P Singh is already in Kabul to work out the details and agenda of his upcoming visit. 

Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken handed over a letter to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, suggesting ways to jumpstart the Afghan peace process. One option, he had suggested, is the formation of an interim government that also includes the members of the Taliban. Ghani has repeatedly resisted this option, saying he would transfer power only to an elected leader. 

Amid the mounting domestic and international calls for a participatory government in Kabul, India, so far, remained the only country backing the Afghan government approach.

The visit of the Afghan foreign minister also becomes crucial as it comes weeks before the planned UN-led foreign ministers’ conference of regional countries in Turkey to discuss the Afghanistan situation. 

 
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavasoglu on Friday announced that the UN-led meet on Afghanistan will be held in April in Istanbul.