Rejecting an "exit strategy" for Afghanistan, India today pitched for "closest international support" to prevent decade-long achievements from going "waste" in the war-torn country, where the US plans a total pull-out by this year end in absence of bilateral security agreement (BSA).
Addressing the meeting of International Contact Group (ICG) on Afghanistan-Pakistan, attended by representatives from 53 countries, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said Afghanistan was at a critical juncture and required steadfast support from the international community.
Reiterating India's support for peace and security in Afghanistan, he said what faces that country was "not anymore intrinsic tribal differences" of ethnic divisions but it was "clearly terrorism and continuability of some armed opposition groups to launch attacks on innocent civilians and legitimate Afghan government".
Asserting that the focus of the international community should be that these "terrorist groups and inspiration and support that they get from outside Afghanistan must be curtailed and contained", Khurshid said there should not be lack of will by international community to tackle the surge of terrorism and it should not be allowed to hide behind alibis and allow the achievements of 12 years to "go to waste" or "slip away".
Nothing justifies terrorism and "closest international cooperation" was required to defeat this scourge, he said and asserted that "India is and will remain committed to Afghanistan for all times to come, even beyond 2014 which is critical year for many.... People may have many strategies but one strategy India rejects is an exit strategy for Afghanistan."
Later, addressing a press conference, US Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan-Pakistan Laurel Miller said the US has been consistently maintaining that the BSA should be signed promptly and that her government strongly backs the peace process in the war-ravaged country.
"Our position remains that this agreement should be signed promptly," she said.
Laurel said delay in signing of the pact would erode the confidence of the Afghan people as well as create uncertainty among the international community.
"If the agreement is not signed promptly, we, unfortunately, will be in a position in which we will need to plan for the possibility of having no military presence in Afghanistan after 2014. That is not an outcome that we desire.
"We very strongly support peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan and there is no genuine issue between us in terms of the objective," she said.
The US wanted the BSA to be signed before the end of 2013, but Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai refused to ink the pact asking the US to first stop the searching and bombing of Afghan houses during military operations and support meaningful talks with Taliban led by only Afghan government.
