The BRICS Delhi declaration on Thursday expressed "concern" over the latest developments in Afghanistan and caution that&nbsp;the country's territory might be used by terrorist as sanctuary.

Delhi Declaration was issued after the 13th BRICS summit, hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, called for "settling the situation by peaceful means" and "refraining from violence" when it comes the ongoing crisis in the country.

This summit saw participation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro and South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-20-changed-visas-painted-walls-new-airport-names-hint-at-changed-afghanistan-411938">Taliban 2.0? Changed visas, painted walls, new airport names hint at changed Afghanistan</a>

The joint statement stressed on the "need to contribute to fostering an inclusive intra-Afghan dialogue" so as to ensure "stability, civil peace, law and order in the country." While condemning in the "strongest terms"&nbsp;the terrorist attacks near the Hamid Karzai Kabul International Airport, the declaration underscored the "priority of fighting terrorism, including preventing attempts by terrorist organizations to use Afghan territory as terrorist sanctuary" and to "carry out attacks against other countries, as well as drug trade within Afghanistan."

India has been concerned about Pakistan-based international terror groups such as&nbsp;Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)&nbsp;using Afghan territory. The same was conveyed by India's NSA Ajit Doval to Russia's Secretary of the Security Council&nbsp;General Nikolay Patrushev, earlier this week.

China has its own concerns about Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), an Uyghur Islamic extremist organisation using Afghan territory to destabilise Xinjiang further.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/deeply-disappointed-by-lack-of-inclusion-australian-envoy-barry-ofarrell-on-taliban-govt-411916">Deeply disappointed by lack of inclusion: Australian Envoy Barry O'Farrell on Taliban govt</a>

The Declaration also saw emphasis on the "need to address the humanitarian situation and to uphold human rights, including those of women, children and minorities."

Since the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, worry is that the group will not respect the rights of women and other ethnic minorities. With the announcement of so called "acting" government by Taliban, which has no representation from women and presence of Haqqani network, the fears have only confirmed the true intent of the extremist group which has deep linkages with Pakistan.

During the talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin and&nbsp;Brazil President Bolsonaro backed India's line on Afghanistan, especially when it comes to the issue of terrorism.

Sanjay Bhattacharyya, India's G20 Sherpa, after the summit, said, "There is a very strong sense of consensus which is supportive of our perspective on the developments in Afghanistan and in the region."

Afghanistan's geographic proximity with three&nbsp;BRICS countries — India, China and Russia — makes the issue an important part of regional discussion. Next week will see the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO summit) which will be hosted by Tajikistan, and Afghanistan yet again will dominate the focus. The three&nbsp;BRICS countries are also part of the eight-member SCO grouping.

The BRICS Delhi declaration on Thursday expressed "concern" over the latest developments in Afghanistan and caution that the country's territory might be used by terrorist as sanctuary.

The BRICS Delhi declaration on Thursday expressed "concern" over the latest developments in Afghanistan and caution that the country's territory might be used by terrorist as sanctuary. Delhi Declaration was issued after the 13th BRICS summit, hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, called for "settling the situation by peaceful means" and "refraining from violence" when it comes the ongoing crisis in the country. This summit saw participation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro and South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa. Also read | Taliban 2.0? Changed visas, painted walls, new airport names hint at changed Afghanistan The joint statement stressed on the "need to contribute to fostering an inclusive intra-Afghan dialogue" so as to ensure "stability, civil peace, law and order in the country." While condemning in the "strongest terms" the terrorist attacks near the Hamid Karzai Kabul International Airport, the declaration underscored the "priority of fighting terrorism, including preventing attempts by terrorist organizations to use Afghan territory as terrorist sanctuary" and to "carry out attacks against other countries, as well as drug trade within Afghanistan." India has been concerned about Pakistan-based international terror groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) using Afghan territory. The same was conveyed by India's NSA Ajit Doval to Russia's Secretary of the Security Council General Nikolay Patrushev, earlier this week. China has its own concerns about Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), an Uyghur Islamic extremist organisation using Afghan territory to destabilise Xinjiang further. Also read | Deeply disappointed by lack of inclusion: Australian Envoy Barry O'Farrell on Taliban govt The Declaration also saw emphasis on the "need to address the humanitarian situation and to uphold human rights, including those of women, children and minorities." Since the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, worry is that the group will not respect the rights of women and other ethnic minorities. With the announcement of so called "acting" government by Taliban, which has no representation from women and presence of Haqqani network, the fears have only confirmed the true intent of the extremist group which has deep linkages with Pakistan. During the talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Brazil President Bolsonaro backed India's line on Afghanistan, especially when it comes to the issue of terrorism. Sanjay Bhattacharyya, India's G20 Sherpa, after the summit, said, "There is a very strong sense of consensus which is supportive of our perspective on the developments in Afghanistan and in the region." Afghanistan's geographic proximity with three BRICS countries — India, China and Russia — makes the issue an important part of regional discussion. Next week will see the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO summit) which will be hosted by Tajikistan, and Afghanistan yet again will dominate the focus. The three BRICS countries are also part of the eight-member SCO grouping.

Afghan territory should not become terror sanctuary, warns BRICS Delhi Declaration

China could play a &quot;helpful role&quot; in convincing Pakistan that it is in its national interest to crackdown on terror safe havens, a senior White House official has said.

The official said China shares some of the concerns of the US about the terror issue in Pakistan and Washington is seeking to work with Beijing and other regional players to convince Islamabad about the need to crackdown on terror groups.

The official said that dismantling terrorist safe havens in Pakistan is key to bring stability in Afghanistan and in the region.

&quot;Pakistan already has deep historical ties with China going back to many years and they have close military ties. The economic relationship is also growing due to China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC),&quot; the senior administration official said on condition of anonymity.

&quot;But, China shares some of the concerns of the US about the terrorism problem. The US is seeking to work with other regional players and China would be one of the main ones to deal with this issue. It won&#39;t serve China&#39;s interests to have terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan,&quot; the official said.

The official was quick to point out that China has been playing a more helpful role in terms of encouraging better relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan. &quot;It is taking a more active role in this regard.&quot;

&quot;So, I would disagree with the assertion that China will not play a helpful role in convincing Pakistan it is in its own interest to crack down on the terror sanctuaries,&quot; the official told a group of reporters on Friday.

&quot;Ultimately, China is also working towards a stable Afghanistan. That&#39;s going to take them back to the same issue which are the sanctuaries in Pakistan,&quot; the official said.

China-Pakistan relationship is already very strong and appeared unconcerned over reports that the US&#39; decision to freeze approximately USD 2 billion in security assistance to Pakistan would push Islamabad towards Beijing, the official added.

&quot;That relationship is already very very strong. But what we have seen is an interest by Pakistan in having a strong relationship with both the US and China. So that&#39;s one issue. And the second issue is that China is also concerned about terrorism and extremism in South Asia,&quot; the official said.

Noting that China has taken a more active role in trying to help stabilise Afghanistan, trying to improve relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the official said the US believes that China is also interested in stability in Pakistan and also for the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

&quot;Ultimately if they want to see stability in the region, and I think they do, they also will have an interest in seeing Pakistan crack down on the Haqqani and Taliban network,&quot; the senior administration official said.

The Trump administration has suspended about USD 2 billion in security aid to Pakistan for failing to clamp down on the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network terror groups and dismantle their safe havens.

The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes after President Trump in a New Year&#39;s Day tweet accused the country of giving nothing to the US but &quot;lies and deceit&quot; and providing &quot;safe haven&quot; to terrorists in return for USD 33 billion aid over the last 15 years.&nbsp;

'The US is seeking to work with other regional players and China would be one of the main ones to deal with this issue,' the official said

China could play a "helpful role" in convincing Pakistan that it is in its national interest to crackdown on terror safe havens, a senior White House official has said. The official said China shares some of the concerns of the US about the terror issue in Pakistan and Washington is seeking to work with Beijing and other regional players to convince Islamabad about the need to crackdown on terror groups. The official said that dismantling terrorist safe havens in Pakistan is key to bring stability in Afghanistan and in the region. "Pakistan already has deep historical ties with China going back to many years and they have close military ties. The economic relationship is also growing due to China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)," the senior administration official said on condition of anonymity. "But, China shares some of the concerns of the US about the terrorism problem. The US is seeking to work with other regional players and China would be one of the main ones to deal with this issue. It won't serve China's interests to have terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan," the official said. The official was quick to point out that China has been playing a more helpful role in terms of encouraging better relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan. "It is taking a more active role in this regard." "So, I would disagree with the assertion that China will not play a helpful role in convincing Pakistan it is in its own interest to crack down on the terror sanctuaries," the official told a group of reporters on Friday. "Ultimately, China is also working towards a stable Afghanistan. That's going to take them back to the same issue which are the sanctuaries in Pakistan," the official said. China-Pakistan relationship is already very strong and appeared unconcerned over reports that the US' decision to freeze approximately USD 2 billion in security assistance to Pakistan would push Islamabad towards Beijing, the official added. "That relationship is already very very strong. But what we have seen is an interest by Pakistan in having a strong relationship with both the US and China. So that's one issue. And the second issue is that China is also concerned about terrorism and extremism in South Asia," the official said. Noting that China has taken a more active role in trying to help stabilise Afghanistan, trying to improve relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the official said the US believes that China is also interested in stability in Pakistan and also for the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. "Ultimately if they want to see stability in the region, and I think they do, they also will have an interest in seeing Pakistan crack down on the Haqqani and Taliban network," the senior administration official said. The Trump administration has suspended about USD 2 billion in security aid to Pakistan for failing to clamp down on the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network terror groups and dismantle their safe havens. The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes after President Trump in a New Year's Day tweet accused the country of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for USD 33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

China could convince Pakistan to dismantle terror safe havens: Senior White House official

India has urged the UN Security Council to ensure that the first and foremost duty of international community is to ensure&nbsp;that the forces of terrorism and extremism do not find sanctuaries and safe havens anywhere and at any level.

&quot;We must not differentiate between good and bad terrorists, or play one group against the other. The Taliban, Haqqani Network, AI-Qaeda, Daesh,&nbsp;Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and others of their like are all terror organisations, many of them proscribed by the UN,&quot; said Syed Akbaruddin&nbsp;yesterday, India&#39;s Permanent Representative to the UN.

&quot;The international community cannot remain silent. It is the international community&#39;s first and foremost duty to ensure that the forces of terrorism and&nbsp;extremism do not find sanctuaries and safe havens anywhere and at any level,&quot; he said in an apparent dig at Pakistan.

Participating in an open debate of the UN Security Council on Afghanistan, Akbaruddin said that these terrorist groups should be treated like terrorist&nbsp;organisations with no justifications offered for their activities.

Noting that the situation in Afghanistan has remained particularly painful and disturbing with security worsening and visible signs of withering away of the&nbsp;gains by the international community and Afghan people, the top Indian envoy said that the incessant attacks on hospitals, schools, funerals, or&nbsp;international development agencies, diplomatic missions are a matter of serious concern.

&quot;The multiple crises that have been inflicted on Afghanistan have made Afghan territory attractive for criminal and terrorist groups, who are well&nbsp;connected to international terror and crime networks.&quot;These groups are stealing the resources of Afghanistan which ought to belong to the people of the country,&quot; he said.

Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani joined Akbaruddin in identifying terrorist safe havens across the border.

&quot;The scourge of terrorism and violent extremism affecting Afghanistan is the product of a long-standing policy by a neighbouring State to keep&nbsp;Afghanistan unstable,&quot; he said.

&quot;It has menaced Afghanistan for several decades now, with its roots located in terrorist sanctuaries and safe havens outside of my country,&quot; Rabbani&nbsp;said, adding that the new strategy of the United States for South Asia has generated new hope among people across the country.

Afghans from all walks of life are looking to the future with renewed optimism that finally the threats of terrorism and extremism in Afghanistan and the&nbsp;wider region will be tackled appropriately.

&quot;In this connection, we welcome the fact that the new strategy recognises the critical need to address the lingering problem of terrorist safe-havens and&nbsp;sanctuaries in our region; and for more determined efforts to end political, logistical and financial support enjoyed by terrorist groups,&quot; he said.

&quot;Furthermore, the strategy&#39;s conditions-based approach has addressed some uncertainties by reinforcing the right message that the international&nbsp;community&#39;s engagement will endure until Afghanistan becomes stable and secure,&quot; Rabbani said.

Representing the European Union, Joanne Adamson, stressed that it is important that the international community remains strongly committed to&nbsp;accompany Afghanistan towards long-term peace, security, and stability.

Eshagh AI-Habib from Iran ruled that more than a decade after its invasion, Afghanistan, the region and the world is not any safer.

&quot;I need to reiterate, once again that deteriorating security in Afghanistan has its deeper roots and cannot be addressed solely through military buildup as&nbsp;some suggest,&quot; he said.

Taliban and self-proclaimed Islamic State Khorasan Province or ISIL-KP continue their heinous attacks against the civilian population.

They are reinforcing and recruiting and undertaking complex attacks such as the attack on a Shia mosque in Herat on the first and 25 August that killed&nbsp;over 90 and 28 people respectively or August attack in Sar-e Pul province during which at least 36 people were killed, as in Herat, the majority of the&nbsp;documented casualties were Shia, he said.

&quot;The proliferation of terrorist groups in the Afghan territory necessitates concerted international effort on counter-terrorism.

&quot;The world needs to deal with this increasing threat in a comprehensive manner,&quot; the Iranian diplomat said.

The Turkish representative expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation and the presence of Daesh in the country.

&quot;Increased cooperation among the countries of the region is imperative for the success of Afghanistan,&quot; he said.

India has urged the UN Security Council to ensure that the first and foremost duty of international community is to ensure?that the forces of terrorism and extremism do not find sanctuaries and safe havens anywhere and at any level

India has urged the UN Security Council to ensure that the first and foremost duty of international community is to ensure that the forces of terrorism and extremism do not find sanctuaries and safe havens anywhere and at any level. "We must not differentiate between good and bad terrorists, or play one group against the other. The Taliban, Haqqani Network, AI-Qaeda, Daesh, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and others of their like are all terror organisations, many of them proscribed by the UN," said Syed Akbaruddin yesterday, India's Permanent Representative to the UN. "The international community cannot remain silent. It is the international community's first and foremost duty to ensure that the forces of terrorism and extremism do not find sanctuaries and safe havens anywhere and at any level," he said in an apparent dig at Pakistan. Participating in an open debate of the UN Security Council on Afghanistan, Akbaruddin said that these terrorist groups should be treated like terrorist organisations with no justifications offered for their activities. Noting that the situation in Afghanistan has remained particularly painful and disturbing with security worsening and visible signs of withering away of the gains by the international community and Afghan people, the top Indian envoy said that the incessant attacks on hospitals, schools, funerals, or international development agencies, diplomatic missions are a matter of serious concern. "The multiple crises that have been inflicted on Afghanistan have made Afghan territory attractive for criminal and terrorist groups, who are well connected to international terror and crime networks."These groups are stealing the resources of Afghanistan which ought to belong to the people of the country," he said. Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani joined Akbaruddin in identifying terrorist safe havens across the border. "The scourge of terrorism and violent extremism affecting Afghanistan is the product of a long-standing policy by a neighbouring State to keep Afghanistan unstable," he said. "It has menaced Afghanistan for several decades now, with its roots located in terrorist sanctuaries and safe havens outside of my country," Rabbani said, adding that the new strategy of the United States for South Asia has generated new hope among people across the country. Afghans from all walks of life are looking to the future with renewed optimism that finally the threats of terrorism and extremism in Afghanistan and the wider region will be tackled appropriately. "In this connection, we welcome the fact that the new strategy recognises the critical need to address the lingering problem of terrorist safe-havens and sanctuaries in our region; and for more determined efforts to end political, logistical and financial support enjoyed by terrorist groups," he said. "Furthermore, the strategy's conditions-based approach has addressed some uncertainties by reinforcing the right message that the international community's engagement will endure until Afghanistan becomes stable and secure," Rabbani said. Representing the European Union, Joanne Adamson, stressed that it is important that the international community remains strongly committed to accompany Afghanistan towards long-term peace, security, and stability. Eshagh AI-Habib from Iran ruled that more than a decade after its invasion, Afghanistan, the region and the world is not any safer. "I need to reiterate, once again that deteriorating security in Afghanistan has its deeper roots and cannot be addressed solely through military buildup as some suggest," he said. Taliban and self-proclaimed Islamic State Khorasan Province or ISIL-KP continue their heinous attacks against the civilian population. They are reinforcing and recruiting and undertaking complex attacks such as the attack on a Shia mosque in Herat on the first and 25 August that killed over 90 and 28 people respectively or August attack in Sar-e Pul province during which at least 36 people were killed, as in Herat, the majority of the documented casualties were Shia, he said. "The proliferation of terrorist groups in the Afghan territory necessitates concerted international effort on counter-terrorism. "The world needs to deal with this increasing threat in a comprehensive manner," the Iranian diplomat said. The Turkish representative expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation and the presence of Daesh in the country. "Increased cooperation among the countries of the region is imperative for the success of Afghanistan," he said.

India, Afghanistan raise terrorist safe havens at UN Security Council meet