NEW DELHI, 24 March, 2021 (TON): On a three day visit to India, the Afghan Foreign Minister Haneef Atmar affirmed on Tuesday that Afghanistan envisages a greater role for India in building regional and international consensus for the country’s fraught peace process, though a decision on engaging the Taliban is entirely up to New Delhi.

During the visit, Atmar held talks with his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on security and economic cooperation and collaboration on efforts to overcome the pandemic.

The two sides also reviewed latest developments in the peace process between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

While talking to the media, Atmar said, “There are those out there that threaten not just Afghanistan but also India. So, India is a legitimate partner in peace-making and we are seeking a greater role for India in the process.”

Lasting peace in Afghanistan depends on national, regional and international consensus, irrespective of the venue where talks are held by the Afghan government and the Taliban, he said. India has a key role in the process of “regional and international consensus-building”, he said.

While referring to the violence against the minorities in Afghanistan, the FM emphasized that this was the responsibility of the Afghan government to provide protection and security to all irrespective of the minorities for it’s not a kind of persecution against some specific minority.