Afghan crisis on India's UNGA agenda

India will make its concern over "free movement of Taliban and al Qaeda members," especially across Afghanistan's southern borders, known at the upcoming meting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

According to official sources in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the government was disturbed at the deteriorating law and order in Afghanistan and would make its position clear at the meeting.

However, India would continue to play its part in talks on the comprehensive convention on international terror (CCIT), which sources said was at an advanced stage of negotiation.

"There is an increasing desire among many nations to take the convention forward," an official source said in response to a question if countries from the Middle-East were on board the convention.

On whether lobbying for India's candidate for the UN secretary general's post Shashi Tharoor would be stepped up, an MEA official said India "remained committed to the principle that the next secretary general should be an Asian."

He added Tharoor himself had visited several countries for support, as had ministers of state in the MEA. "Our envoys, too, have been canvassing for him," he said.

For India, an important issue on the UNGA agenda would be UN peacekeeping efforts and talks between the troop contributing countries. "India is among the top five contributors to UN peacekeeping. There will be a revisiting of mandates and methods," said an MEA official.

The question of who would represent India at the meeting has still not been answered, though.