As Kabul descended in chaos, India was ready for UNSC meet on Afghanistan on Sunday
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As the UNSC meets on Afghanistan on Monday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres is expected to be present
On Sunday as Kabul was witnessing chaos with Taliban reaching the gates of the city, Estonia and Norway reached out to India for an urgent meeting on Afghanistan.
At the request of "penholders," it is reported that India was immediately ready to organise the meetings on Sunday afternoon itself at the Security Council.
Estonian mission to the United Nations had tweeted that they have requested for "Council meeting on Afghanistan as soon as possible" and the "call for the violence to stop and parties to negotiate peacefully."
After consultations, a broad consensus at UNSC was achieved to have the meeting at 10 am EST (7.30 am IST) on Monday.
India is the president of UNSC for the month of August and as the president takes crucial decisions on key meetings and agenda at the high table. For any meeting to take place, India has to receive a request and a consensus need to be formed.
UNSC meet on Afghanistan tomm at 7.30 PM IST. 2nd meet on Afghanistan under India's presidency of the high table. Estonia, Norway are the penholders. https://t.co/3Ghr46zr8O
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) August 15, 2021
Monday's meeting will be the second on Afghanistan to take place under India's presidency of UNSC this month.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is expected to participate in the meeting.
The meeting on August 6 was chaired by the Indian envoy to the United Nations TS Tirumurti. The development came after the then Afghan foreign minister Hanif Atmar called India's external affairs minister Dr Jaishankar for the meeting.
