The US Special Representative, Thomas West, said that he met Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation of the former Afghan government, and a number of high-ranking Indian officials in New Delhi.
Thomas West stated that he spoke about the situation in Afghanistan and other matters of mutual interest with his Indian interlocutors. He added that India’s substantial humanitarian assistance and commitment to the fundamental rights of Afghans are greatly appreciated by the US.
According to a string of tweets on Tuesday, December 6, the US official stated that he has met with the Indian Deputy National Security Adviser, Vikram Misri, J.P. Singh, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretary, and other top Indian officials.
West further said that during his visit with Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, he emphasized the importance of national political discourse among the Afghan people.
“There is consensus in [international] community on this imperative, which Afghans must lead and shape,” West wrote on his Twitter handle.
A statement by the US State Department announced Thomas West’s visits to Japan, India, and the UAE to discuss human rights, trade, and challenges that Afghan refugees face while consulting with them on the situation of Afghanistan.
During his two-day visit to Japan, Thomas West spoke with his Japanese counterparts about the human rights situation in Afghanistan, political engagement, and humanitarian needs in Afghanistan.
“We are always stronger, on every challenge, when we act together with allies,” West wrote while announcing his trip to Tokyo, the Japanese capital.
Thomas West will reportedly travel to the UAE following his visit to India, where he would meet with some former Afghan politicians and officials along with authorities in the UAE.
West’s visit to the UAE would come at a time when Hamid Karzai, the former Afghan president, Omar Zakhilwal, and Karim Khorram, the ministers of the former Afghan government, and Mullah Mohammad Yaqoub Mujahid, the current administration’s Minister of Defense, are all in the UAE.
On Mullah Muhammad Yaqub Mujahid’s visit to the UAE, the Ministry of Defense announced on its Twitter account that the visit’s objectives were to meet with UAE officials and Afghan residents there as well as to improve ties between Afghanistan and the Gulf countries.
