Putin to tame Modi

 Putin to tame Modi

Dr. Jassim Taqui

In yet another shrewd move, the Russian President Vladimir Putin proves yet again his statesmanship.

Putin combined with China to host six-nation talks this month on Afghanistan in an unprecedented development where arch-rival Pakistan and India are also invited to discuss options for seeking a peaceful end to the lingering unrest in the war-torn country.

The talks involving host Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and India are scheduled to be held in Moscow in mid-February. The move took shape following talks between Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani on Tuesday.

The United States, a major stakeholder, however, has not been invited to the meeting in what appears to be significant move suggesting that both Russia and China are now seeking a regional solution to the Afghan problem.

What is significant of the Moscow talks is that both Pakistan and India will join other regional countries to discuss the future of Afghanistan. Although Islamabad and New Delhi are part of Heart of Asia Istanbul initiative, this is the first time India has been invited to talks exclusively focused on seeking the revival of peace talks between the Afghan Taliban and the government.

Pakistan has always opposed India’s role in Afghan affairs. The opposition stems from fears that Indian intelligence agencies have been using Afghan soil to create instability in Pakistan. However, there seems to be a “ freshness” in Islamabad especially when the Military Establishment invited India to benefit from the CPEC.

With Putin influence on both India and Pakistan, it is hoped that the moot would contribute also to the de-escalation of tension between them. Putin is one person that is capable of taming the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and convincing him to give up opposition to the CPEC, which is rightly described as a game changer.