2nd India-Afghanistan-US Trilateral Dialog Held In Delhi

New Delhi, Feb 20, IRNA – India on Tuesday hosted Second meeting of India-Afghanistan-US trilateral dialogue in New Delhi. Y K Sinha, Additional Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) led the Indian delegation, while the Afghan delegation was led by Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Jawed Ludin, with Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Mr. Robert O. Blake, Jr. led the U.S. delegation. Later the three delegations jointly called on Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai, said an official statement issued here today. The three sides agreed to continue this trilateral process as a vehicle for achieving the shared goal of peace, security and development of Afghanistan, it said. India has strategic partnerships with both Afghanistan and the US, and jointly they share a vision of a secure, peaceful, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan. The second trilateral dialogue provided a platform for in-depth consultations on issues ranging from political and security spheres to trade, commerce and investment, and other areas of mutual interest. The meeting came in the backdrop of the USˈ announcement of withdrawing 34,000 American troops from the war-torn country in the next one year. The first trilateral dialogue was hosted by Afghanistan in New York on September 25, 2012./end