New Delhi, Jan 29 (Inditop.com) Lauding India for its reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan while not sending troops, Germany Friday said there could be no durable solution to stabilising the violence-torn country without the support of New Delhi and its neighbours.
Calling Pakistan and Afghanistan two sides of the same coin, Germany also warned of the “latent danger” in integrating Taliban in that country, saying there was “a thin dividing line” between the hardcore elements of the militia and its fellow travellers.
Any durable solution to Afghanistan would not be possible without the support of India and its neighbours, German Ambassador Thomas Matussek told reporters here when asked about Pakistan’s alleged designs to keep India out of regional arrangements. His remarks came ahead of German President Horst Koehler’s weeklong visit to India that begins Monday.
“What India does in Afghanistan is absolutely admirable. India’s position not to send the military to Afghanistan is a very wise one,” the German envoy said. “We wholeheartedly support India’s stand,” he added. India has pledged $1.3 billion for various reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan.
In the geopolitical scenario, India’s military presence would have created instability rather than stabilising Afghanistan, the envoy said.
Alluding to Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s recent proposal for reconciliation with Taliban, that is backed by Western powers, the German envoy said only those Taliban who have taken up arms due to financial constraints should be taken on board. But it would be totally futile to build a democratic Afghanistan with hard core Taliban leaders like Mullah Omar, he said.
He, however, voiced his doubts about the effectiveness of the proposal.
India has opposed reconciliation with Taliban and has consistently maintained that there is no good Taliban and bad Taliban.
“It is a complicated issue. It’s very difficult to draw a thin red line between hardcore Taliban and their fellow travellers,” he said.
“There is a latent risk and danger in it. It’s important not to go overboard,” the envoy said when asked to comment on the Taliban integration proposal.
