NEW DELHI – Indian Ministry of External Affairs has reacted on Indian ArmyChief General Bipin Rawat statement saying that “there should be talks withTaliban” but without “any preconditions”.

MEA said, “Our position on Afghanistan has been clear and consistent. Wehave said in the past, India supports the peace and reconciliation effortsin Afghanistan. We support the process which is inclusive towards achievingthis goal and there has been no change in the position.”

Rawat had said New Delhi needs to sit on the “high table” and “if a numberof other countries are talking to the Taliban, do we have interest inAfghanistan? If the answer is yes, then you can’t be out of the bandwagon.”

Pakistan, Iran, Russia, and the US have been engaging with the Taliban.Iran has even offered its own communication lines to India to engage withthe Taliban. India as a policy does not engage with the Taliban but didsend “non-official” representatives to Moscow to talk on Afghanistan inwhich the Taliban was also present.

New Delhi sent two former diplomats- Amar Sinha, India’s former envoy toAfghanistan and TCA Raghavan to the talks in Russia.