India needs to have proactive Foreign Policy towards Middle-East Region: Hamid Karzai

Former Afghanistan President underlines the need of a greater role by India in ensuring peace and regional stability in the middle-east

Acknowledging India’s new outreach in striking strategic relations with the Gulf countries, Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai urged India on taking a proactive role to persistently engage with the middle-east region. 

“It is imperative for India to have a greater role in the middle-east. With the many names and old relations, it shares with that region. I have been advocating it for a long time,” Karzai said, adding that a stronger Indian foreign policy was required in the Gulf region.

The former Afghan president was speaking at the opening session of the Raisina Dialogue of 2020 in the capital.

Responding to a question on the much-delayed peace process in Afghanistan, the former president said, “Peace in Afghanistan is complex issue. It is difficult to put Afghan’s desire for peace in line with the US objectives and also with the regional complexity.” 

Karzai claimed that a proper management of the roles of all neighbouring nations including India, Pakistan, Iran, Uzbekistan and others will ensure prolonged peace in the Afghan lands.

On the Afghanistan government striking a deal with the Taliban, Karzai replied that, Kabul hopes that the fundamentalists-military organization would come forward for a dialogue. “Once this is done, we can then launch the intra-Afghan dialogue (with Taliban),” said Karzai pointing at Afghanistan’s National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib, who was seating in the front row alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Meanwhile, in his remarks Foreign Minister Dr S Jaishankar drew parallel lines between the three-day multilateral conference and the Indian foreign policy. 

“India’s foreign policy seeks to achieve essentially, a focus on key challenges, have a broad engagement with many parties and managing if not leveraging various conflicts in global context,” Jaishankar observed.

India Must Be Strong Component Against Oppressive Rulers and Regimes

During the inaugural session, Danish Prime Minister and ex-NATO Secretary General Anders Rasmussen looked upon Prime Minister Modi-led India to take a lead role in global security. 

Prime Minister Rasmussen while, highlighting the need for soft security said, that he would like to see a global alliance of democracies to stand up to oppressive rulers and regimes, and India could play an important role in such a coalition.

“India can be a strong component in this (alliance formation). India’s participation in this alliance is very important. I appreciate… very much the leadership Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this aspect,” he said.