Obama, Modi discuss Afghan transition

WASHINGTON (Pajhwok): A day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, told a New York audience he was against the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, he discussed the current situation with President Barack Obama.

“The Afghan people have shown the will to prevail over violence and extremism.  We discussed our two countries’ continued commitment to assist Afghanistan and our own coordination in this area,” Modi told reporters.

At a joint media appearance, Obama said: “We discussed what has now been a successful, peaceful transition of power in Afghanistan and the need for all of us to work together to ensure that there is stability there.”

In a joint statement, they said the leaders asserted the importance of a sustainable, inclusive, sovereign and democratic political order in Afghanistan. They vowed to continue close consultations and cooperation in support of Afghanistan’s future.

A day earlier, Modi told the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington India wanted that Afghanistan should be stable, and in a democratic way it should march toward its voyage of development.

“The security measures with which America has helped, there has been stability created there. And our efforts have been even today, in the new government that has come up, we are trying to coordinate between the government and the people. And India and US have worked and tried to create that there.”

About the pullout of forces from Afghanistan, he said India had asked the US not to repeat the mistake that it did in Iraq, because after such a rapid withdrawal, the situation in the Gulf country had nosedived.

“So the withdrawal process in Afghanistan should be very slow. Let it stand on its own feet. And only then it can stop Taliban from emerging its head. That’s why India and the US have worked together to bring prosperity to Afghanistan, Modi said.

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