India's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Gen. V.K. Singh and Afghanistan's former President Hamid Karzai on Thursday hoped that United States President Donald Trump would "walk the talk" on his position on Pakistan's support to terrorists.
"I hope the President would walk the talk", General V.K. Singh said here while participating in a panel discussion on 'The Afghan poser' on the second day of the Raisina Dialogue 2018 on Thursday.
"I do think so," agreed Hamid Karzai.
They were referring to the tweet issued by President Trump on the New Year Day, warning Pakistan against supporting terrorists and stopping military aids.
Russia's Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Igor Morgulov as well as Hamid Karzai, ruling out a military solution to the Afghan problem, said that the only solution lies in talks with all the stake holders.
Morgulov said Russia is trying its best to find a solution to the problem with the help of the government in Kabul.
Karzai said military solution could have been a possibility in the beginning - soon after 2002. "But now, military solution is very, very difficult. It is impossible".
Morgulov said the problem now is that some powers still allowing landing of foreign fighters in some parts of Afghanistan. He said the foreign fighters are brought in unmarked helicopters and being provided unmarked lethal weapons.
When asked who are bringing in these fighters, Morgulov replied: "We don't control the airspace in Afghanistan. It is being controlled by the NATO forces and Kabul".
He said Russia is trying to involve all in the talks, all the neighbours, stake holders and even the US. But he regretted that the US has not shown willingness to participate in this process.
Karzai said it is important to engage with Taliban because "they are from our own villages and homes. They are not foreign. If they are not involved, the peace talks would not succeed. There won't be sustainable peace."
Karzai and Morgulov said the problem now is the support terrorists are getting from the western world in terms of weapons and funding.
Karzai said while Afghanistan is being accused of cultivating and making money of poppy crops, the fact is that the whole money is being pumped through banks in the west while the farmers and government in Afghanistan remain poor.
They disagreed that China will be a problem in finding a solution to the problem, as it is very friendly with Pakistan. "China is an enabler. It is well aware of the dangers from terrorists and it will never support it," they said.
The Russian Minister, however, does not see much change in the US policy towards Afghanistan from the earlier times. He said Washington's policies are almost the same - whether under President Bush, President Obama or now President Trump.
He said there is no alternative to talks between all stake holders, neighbours and big powers.
Gen. VK Singh creating the "cooperative environment" and bringing back the glory of the Afghan economy when the trade flowed through that country was the only way forward to the problem.
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