Jaishankar to be present 'virtually' at intra-Afghan ceremony in Doha today

India will be present at the intra-Afghan talks ceremony that will happen in a short while from now.

Also Read:India to be present at intra-Afghan talks ceremony in Doha

External affairs minister S Jaishankar will join the ceremony virtually while Joint Secretary, Pakistan Afghanistan & Iran (PAI) division in the ministry of external affairs, JP Singh will be present physically.

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India will be present along around 30 countries at the ceremony. All the countries that border Afghanistan have been invited which includes Iran, Pakistan and many central Asian countries.

The ceremony starts the process of negotiations between the Afghan government and Taliban. The official negotiations starts on Monday.

Earlier this year, India was present at the signing of US Taliban deal which was signed on February 29 in Doha. The then Indian envoy in Doha P Kumaran represented India.

India is Afghanistan's major development partner and has built number infrastructure projects in the country like India Afghanistan friendship dam in the western province of Herat & the Afghan Parliament in capital Kabul.

The Afghan govt negotiating delegation reached for Doha on Friday to start peace negotiations with the Taliban group.

The Afghan government will be represented by Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Mohamamd Hanif Atmar, Afghan President’s Special Representative on Peace Affairs Abdul Salam Rahimi and State Minister for Peace Affairs Seyed Sa’adat Mansour Naderi.

The Afghan government in a statement said, "President Ghani wishes success for the negotiating delegation of the Afghan Government on their mission to bring sustainable peace and stability to the country."

The Taliban said, "In line with the agreement signed between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the United States of America, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan would like to declare its readiness to partake in the inauguration ceremony of Intra-Afghan Negotiations".

The US welcomed the announcement that Afghanistan peace negotiations saying "This opportunity must not be squandered."

US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo is in Qatar to attend the opening ceremony of Afghanistan peace negotiations.