Doval meets Ghani, NSA in unannounced Kabul visit

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 13

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Wednesday met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his counterpart Hamdullah Mohib during an unannounced two-day visit to Kabul.

"Both sides discussed expansion of cooperation in countering terrorism between the two countries, and strengthening regional consensus on Afghan peace process," said the Afghan President’s spokesperson Sediq Sediqqi.

"The Afghan National and Defense Security Forces are the righteous pillars of Afghanistan’s stability and are fighting in the front lines against regional and global terrorism collaboration with the NATO and the U.S. could achieve more success in the fight against the terrorism," the President said.

Doval arrived in Kabul days after US Afghan envoy Zalmay Khalilzad followed by a top US military official met Pakistan Army officials at Rawalpindi.

"The two sides held extensive conversations on issues of strategic mutual interest, including on synchronising efforts to combat terrorism and build peace," said a statement from the Afghan NSA’s office.

Mohib also met Chinese ambassador Wang Yu. "The ambassador expressed appreciation for Afghanistan's cooperation on bilateral security issues. The two sides also exchanged views on large-scale economic and regional connectivity projects," said Mohib’s office.

Mohib is a close aide of Ghani, having worked with him for his failed attempt to become President in 2009. Hamid Karzai had won the elections while Ghani was fourth.

Sources here said the meeting with Doval is aimed at shoring up the Kabul regime’s support among its allies. Last month, Mohib had visited Iran where he met his counterpart Ali Shamkhani and Foreign Minister Javed Zarif on security, trade, diplomatic, economic, and transit-trade issues.