India hosts talks on Afghanistan, but no Afghan official invited

India is hosting elderly security officers from Russia, Iran and five Central Asian countries to bandy the situation in Afghanistan, but no Afghan representative is in attendance.

 India’s archrival Pakistan and China also declined to attend the Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan held on Wednesday following the fall of the United States- backed government and the Taliban preemption of the country.

India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had invited security chiefs from Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan for the addresses.

 This is a time for close discussion among us,” Doval said in opening reflections before the meeting. He said he hoped the reflections will help the people of Afghanistan and enhance the region’s collaborative security.

 India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement the meeting will address “ the applicable security challenges and support the people of Afghanistan in promoting peace, security and stability”.

The top security officers were anticipated to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. The first two editions of the meeting were hosted by Iran in 2018 and 2019.

 Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf last week called India a “ spoiler” and not a “ interceder” in Afghanistan.

 India’s MEA officers said Pakistan’s turndown to attend the meeting was “ unfortunate, but not surprising” and “ reflects its mindset of viewing Afghanistan as its mandate”.

The meeting underscores India’s attempts to cover its strategic interests in Afghanistan amid Pakistan’s growing influence in the region.

 Archrivals India and Pakistan have long tried to apply influence over Afghanistan to meet their security interests.

India’s leaders sweat the Taliban rise to power will profit Pakistan and feed a long- stewing rebellion in Indian- administered Kashmir.

 According to Indian security expert and political judge Bharat Karnad, the meeting in New Delhi is “ a way of waking everybody to India’s stake and India’s interests in Afghanistan”.

“ This is a way of India saying we too have a stake in Afghanistan and making that aspect clear to the world,” Karnad told Al Jazeera.

 When asked why no representative from Afghanistan has been invited, he said “ The trouble is if you invite a representative from the Taliban government in Kabul, also in substance you’ll be according it recognition, in some ways, admitting that government which India does n’t want at this moment in time.”

 New Delhi’s relations with Afghanistan are in suspended vitality. It has no politic presence left in Kabul after it vacated its staff before the final US pullout from Afghanistan.

It did, still, hold its first sanctioned meeting with a Taliban representative in Qatar on August 31.

 TCA Raghavan, the former Indian former minister to Afghanistan, told Al Jazeera the meeting allows India “ to work with central Asian countries on Afghanistan and also with Iran and Russia”.

“ On the whole, the further indigenous consultations and sweats to make stronger indigenous agreement on Afghanistan, the better it is,” he said.

 I do n’t see it as, specifically, an Indian protuberance. I suppose this is an trouble by Afghanistan’s neighbours to see whether they can increase the common ground which exists.”

efore the Taliban took Kabul, India handed Afghan security forces with functional training and military outfit, indeed though it has had no colors on the ground. It was also the region’s largest provider of development aid to Afghanistan.