Thomas West, the newly appointed US Special Representative for Afghanistan, discussed the recent developments and issues of common interest in Afghanistan with NSA Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla.
New Delhi: The US is aware of the global significance of India and hence is taking steps cautiously, though at times Washington may find keeping the balance tough.
With Afghanistan, requiring a new approach, the newly appointed US Special Representative for Afghanistan, Thomas West, visited New Delhi on Tuesday, November 16. Sources say he called on NSA Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla.
"Discussions focused on the current developments in Afghanistan and topics discussed included the recently held Regional Security Dialogue of NSAs on Afghanistan in New Delhi," a source told 'Organiser'.
Besides the movement of people in and out of Afghanistan, coordinating global efforts on humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, regional security issues, and other bilateral and international issues of mutual interest also figured prominently.
"Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla met US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West and exchanged views on recent developments and issues of common interest in Afghanistan," MEA spokesman Arindam Bagchi tweeted.
US concerned by Russian S400 arriving India
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said that the US has "concerns" over the Russian S400 system reaching India.
"….but I don't have any updates," he said.
The specialised defence system costing between $4 billion and $5.3 billion has started arriving in India.
Kirby said that Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin had talked about it with Indian officials when he visited India in March.
The 2017 US law, Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), requires Washington to sanction those buying Russian military equipment. The Americans have imposed sanctions on its NATO ally Turkey for buying the S400 system.
But India has a global significance strategically. Moreover, India is now a key partner of the US in the Indo-Pacific region, where China angle is a vital challenge.
In April, Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters in Delhi in the presence of External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, "I didn't see any changes from our Indian partners and friends….. We have a governmental committee on military-technical cooperation that has its own plans."
Both New Delhi and Moscow are now eyeing the India-Russia Annual Summit, for which President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit India. The India-Russia Summit meeting is held alternately in both countries. However, in 2020, the meet was cancelled due to COVID-19. The Summit has been taking place regularly since 2000.
