NEW DELHI, 03 April 2022, (TON): President Ram Nath Kovind said “India and Turkmenistan share a broad regional consensus on the issues related to Afghanistan, including the formation of a truly representative and inclusive government, combating terrorism and drug trafficking and preserving the rights of women, children and other national ethnic groups and minorities.”

President Kovind met with his Turkmen counterpart Serdar Berdimuhamedov and discussed the recent developments in Afghanistan.

As immediate neighbours of Afghanistan, our countries are naturally concerned about the developments within that country and their external repercussions, he said in a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.

He said “we share a broad regional consensus' on the issues related to Afghanistan, which includes the formation of a truly representative and inclusive government, combating terrorism and drug trafficking, the central role of the UN, providing immediate humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan and preserving the rights of women, children and other national ethnic groups and minorities.”

President Kovind arrived here on Friday as he began his three-day state visit to Turkmenistan.

This is the first-ever visit of the President of India to independent Turkmenistan and comes just after the inauguration of new Turkmen President Berdimuhamedov.