India and US on Tuesday held detailed discussions here on the situation in Afghanistan and ways to accelerate humanitarian assistance to that country.
The review took place during the talks between newly appointed US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West and Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla. The US representative also called on National Security Advisor(NSA)Ajit Doval.
Giving details of the talks, sources later said the two sides also took stock of forward movement on Afghanistan after India last week hosted NSA level talks. Seven countries besides India including five central Asian countries and Iran and Russia participated in the day long conclave on November 10.
India had invited Pakistan but it declined to come on the pretext that New Delhi had not invited the Taliban. China also did not attend the meet quoting scheduling issues. However, it participated in another meet on Afghanistan hosted by Pakistan on November 11 in Islamabad. The US and Russia also participated in that event.
As regards talks between Shringla and West, sources said the agenda included recently held Regional Security Dialogue of NSAs, movement of people in and out of Afghanistan, coordinating global efforts on humanitarian assistance, regional security issues and bilateral issues.
The issue of humanitarian assistance came in the backdrop of India urging Pakistan to allow Indian trucks to supply food grains and other essential items to Afghanistan through the land route. Initially, Pakistan dilly dallied and later Prime Minister Imran Khan said the issue can be considered favourably. India is reportedly ready with more than 50,000 metric tons of supplies which can be ferried to Afghanistan through the land route from Peshawar after entering Pakistan from Attari-Wagah border.