India: ‘Ensure interest of minorities, women and the vulnerable’

“Ensure interest of minorities, women and the vulnerable,” said India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar as Afghanistan’s warring sides started negotiations in Qatar on Saturday.

The talks in the Qatari capital Doha are aimed at ending 19 years of war in Afghanistan.

Jaishankar’s comments on Twitter came as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged warring Afghan sides to seize the opportunity to strike a peace deal at the opening ceremony for negotiations, Reuters reported.

“The choice of your future political system is, of course, yours to make,” Pompeo said in the report.

Pompeo hoped the solution would protect the rights of all Afghan and protect social progress, including the presence of women in public life.

“I cannot strongly enough urge you, seize this opportunity,” the US official added.

Dr, Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) also tweeted:

“Addressed the conference on Afghan peace negotiations at Doha today. Conveyed that the peace process must:

• Be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled

• Respect national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan

• Promote human rights and democracy

• Ensure interest of minorities, women and the vulnerable

• Effectively address violence across the country”