Earlier on Tuesday, at the India-Central Asia summit held in New Delhi, the National Security Advisor of India, Ajit Doval, stated that connectivity with the Central Asian countries has always topped the priority list for India. The security authorities of India are ready to cooperate, invest & build connectivity in the region.
Addressing the National Security Advisers/Secretaries of Security Councils, Doval also stated that before expanding its connectivity, it was important to ascertain that the initiatives were consultative, transparent & participatory.
Doval also expressed his concerns regarding the massive number of terrorist networks persisting in Afghanistan. According to him, countering terror financing should be taken into utmost consideration. He asked the United Nations to stop providing any sort of support to entities that are involved in terrorist acts.
“Persistence of terrorist networks in Afghanistan is a matter of concern. Financing is the lifeblood of terrorism & countering terror financing should be a priority for all of us. All UN members should refrain from providing support to entities involved in terrorist acts,” said NSA Doval.
According to Doval, the meeting was taking place at a time of great churn. Maintaining international relations was a big deal and the future seemed uncertain. Therefore, he said, “A peaceful, secure and prosperous Central Asia is in our common interest.”
“Today’s meeting, therefore, assumes importance as it provides us an opportunity to discuss matters which require greater cooperation and coordination amongst the regional countries,” he added.
