What’s in the news?

• The Third Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan held recently in New Delhi chaired by the National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. Heads of the national security establishments of all the Central Asian countries, and Russia and Iran participated in the dialogue.
• A joint statement titled the ‘Delhi Declaration’ issued after the meeting called for “collective cooperation” against terrorism and drug trafficking in the region and “expressed concern over the deteriorating socio-economic and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and underlined the need to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan”. 
• This is the third meeting of the process that was initiated by Iran in 2018. Pakistan and China too were invited to participate in the consultation but both stayed away. 
• The meeting, however, did not have any representation from the erstwhile Afghan government or the Taliban, which has not been recognised by New Delhi as a legitimate political player in Afghanistan. 
• This is the first meeting of the security heads of the participating countries that India has hosted since the Taliban took power in August after dislodging the government of President Ashraf Ghani. 

Reference:

1. https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/nsa-ajit-doval-chairs-key-regional-dialogue-on-afghanistan/article37411617.ece