Pakistan's conference on Afghanistan held on Nov 11 was attended by Taliban representative, as well as China and US representative.

So what's the point of the Delhi's meeting? Empty talks? Recognizing Taliban is a bitter pill for India to swallow. It's obvious India is not going to play a constructive stablizing role. They'd be considered constructive if they won't engage in sabotaging regional stability by supporting ISKP.

India hosts first regional meeting on Afghanistan since Taliban takeover

MUMBAI, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Diplomats and security analysts from Afghanistan's neighbours, with the notable exceptions of China and Pakistan, gathered in New Delhi on Wednesday to discuss how to engage with the country's Taliban rulers.

Convened less than three months after the withdrawal of the last U.S. and Western forces from Kabul, the Delhi Regional Security Dialogue for Afghanistan was attended by representatives from India, Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

"We all have been keenly watching the developments in that country. These have important implications not only for the people of Afghanistan, but also for its neighbours and the region," Ajit Doval, the top security advisor in the Indian government, said.

Pakistan has reclaimed influence in Kabul since the capitulation of the Western-backed government in August, and the Taliban is hoping to attract investment from China to help rebuild an economy that has imploded following the withdrawal of western aid.

Both countries stayed away from the meeting in New Delhi, with China claiming a schedule clash, and Pakistan boycotting the conference, with National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf accusing India last week of being a 'spoiler' in the region.

India held its first formal meeting with Taliban officials last month in Qatar, and several of the other governments represented at the conference have also met with Afghanistan's new leaders.

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'Troika plus' group holds conference on Afghanistan in Pakistani capital

Reuters
November 11, 2021 5:11 PM +08

ISLAMABAD, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Pakistan held a meeting on Afghanistan with envoys from the United States, China and Russia on Thursday as the Pakistani foreign minister warned its neighbour was on the brink of economic collapse.

The grouping of countries, known as the "Troika Plus" met formally for the first time since the Taliban took over Afghanistan on Aug. 15.

"The engagement with Afghanistan must not only continue but should be enhanced for multiple reasons," Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in opening remarks at the meeting in Islamabad.

"Nobody wishes to see a relapse into civil war, no one wants an economic collapse that will spur instability; everyone wants terrorist elements operating inside Afghanistan to be tackled effectively and we all want to prevent a new refugee crisis," he said.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (not pictured) on the sidelines of the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, U.S. September 23, 2021. Kena Betancur/Pool via REUTERS/Files

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (not pictured) on the sidelines of the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, U.S. September 23, 2021. Kena Betancur/Pool via REUTERS/Files

ISLAMABAD, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Pakistan held a meeting on Afghanistan with envoys from the United States, China and Russia on Thursday as the Pakistani foreign minister warned its neighbour was on the brink of economic collapse.

The grouping of countries, known as the "Troika Plus" met formally for the first time since the Taliban took over Afghanistan on Aug. 15.

"The engagement with Afghanistan must not only continue but should be enhanced for multiple reasons," Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in opening remarks at the meeting in Islamabad.

"Nobody wishes to see a relapse into civil war, no one wants an economic collapse that will spur instability; everyone wants terrorist elements operating inside Afghanistan to be tackled effectively and we all want to prevent a new refugee crisis," he said.

Humanitarian agencies are increasingly raising the alarm that Afghanistan is slipping into a dire humanitarian crisis as the economy slumps due to a stall in most aid and restrictions on the banking system put in place by international governments since the Taliban took over.

Pakistan has called on governments, including the United States, to allow development assistance to flow into Afghanistan to prevent collapse. It has also called on them to unfreeze the billions of dollars of assets that Afghanistan's central bank has overseas.

"Today, Afghanistan stands at the brink of an economic collapse," Qureshi said.

Pakistan has also discussed the idea of Afghanistan joining CPEC, its multi-billion dollar infrastructure project with China, which comes under the banner of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Thursday's conference is the latest in a series of diplomatic meetings in the region.

Afghanistan's Taliban-appointed acting foreign minister carried out a three-day visit to Islamabad to discuss trade and other ties this week, while neighbouring India held a conference for regional countries on Wednesday, though arch-rival Pakistan did not attend that meeting.