There is convergence in long term strategic concerns of India and Russia over Taliban-ruled Afghanistan as it will not only destabilise Central Asia but also become a source of terror, opiate drugs, and a major proliferator of conventional weapons.
While India has exchanged notes on Taliban-ruled Afghanistan with visiting security chiefs from the US and UK, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be meeting General Nikolay Patrushev, right hand man of Russian President Vladimir Putin and secretary of Russian Security Council, today to understand Moscow’s position on Kabul. As a follow-up of PM Modi’s warm conversation with President Putin over telephone on August 24, Gen Patrushev flew down to India last night at the invitation of Cabinet ranked National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval. Patrushev will also meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
India has also put across its point of view on the impact of Taliban-ruled Afghanistan to earlier visiting UK MI-6 chief Richard Moore and to CIA Chief William Burns this week. It intends to do the same with Patrushev, while trying to understand their point of view.