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A Round Table Discussion (RTD) on Afghanistan’s current situation and the way forward was held at the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) on 15 Nov 2017. The panel of discussants included a broad array of security and foreign policy experts, including Dr Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF, Amb Amar Sinha, India’s former Ambassador to Afghanistan, Lt Gen Ravi Sawhney, Amb Prabhat Shukla, among other experts.

Discussion was broadly intended to capture the essence of Afghanistan’s emergent dynamics and how these dynamics could impact Afghanistan’s elusive quest for long term stability and security, as also its relations with India.

The discussions focused on a broad range of issues in the context of Afghanistan, including the potentials for peace talks, regional influences, internal power dynamics, the resurgence of Taliban, the Islamic State as a new factor, connectivity, and other development and security related issues. A large part of the discussion however was pointed at exploring potentials for taking the already strong and thriving India-Afghanistan relations to the next level. India’s constructive engagements with Afghanistan, Pakistan’s ability to play mischief in Afghanistan, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and Afghanistan’s upcoming elections were also discussed during the interactive session.