Saudi Foreign Minister Likely To Arrive In India On 19 September To Discuss Afghanistan Situation

The Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud is expected to visit India this coming weekend to discuss the unfolding situation in Afghanistan after the return of the Taliban forces to the power following a long two-decade war against the United States (US) led forces, reports Hindustan Times.

Prince Faisal is scheduled to land in India on 19 September. He is expected to hold meetings with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and also Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi.

This comes even as Qatar has taken the lead in diplomatically engaging the Taliban and in legitimising their rule over the country.

Both, the KSA and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), India’s close allies in the Middle East, are said to be worried about the security ramifications of the Taliban-led Afghanistan and the ties shared by the Taliban and global terrorist networks.

The two nations are also said to have been perturbed by the active role played by Qatar, Turkey and Pakistan in engaging with the Taliban regime.