IPIS-VIF Dialogue on Latest Developments in Afghanistan

India and Iran share close historical and cultural links dating back to ancient times. In contemporary times, this relationship is multi-faceted and includes cooperation in political, trade-economic, security, and multiple other sectors. To assess the developments after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) Iran organized a virtual dialogue on The Latest Development in Afghanistan in collaboration with the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) on September 7, 2021, 12:00-1330 Hrs. Dr. Seyed Kazem Sajjadpour, President, IPIS, delivered welcome remarks followed by introductory remarks by Dr. Arvind Gupta, Director VIF. The main agenda of this virtual dialogue included the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and its implications for the region and India-Iran relations. From the VIF side, Amb DP Srivastava, Amb TCA Raghavan, and Amb Sanjay Singh participated in this dialogue as speakers.

In August 2021, Taliban forces took over Kabul leading to the fall of the Afghan government. The situation in Afghanistan is fluid in that it has more questions than answers. During the discussion, both the Indian and Iranian sides emphasized that Afghanistan should not become the proxy of any other regional country and Afghan land should not be used by terrorist and extremist forces. India and Iran both have economic and strategic interests in Afghanistan. Iran shares a direct border with Afghanistan. Therefore, it is vulnerable to security threats arising from the country. India has similar security concerns. China, Russia, Turkey, Pakistan have a new role in the region post-US withdrawal. Many speakers felt that India-Iran could work together to ensure peace and humanitarian aid. Furthermore, India, Iran, Russia, and Central Asian countries may cooperate to bring stability to Afghanistan. Both sides agreed that how the Taliban conduct itself will situate Indian and Iranian engagement with Afghanistan in the coming time.

After a detailed discussion on the issue, Dr. Arvind Gupta and Dr Sajjadpour concluded this dialogue by giving their closing remarks.