New Delhi. Warning that the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan had created an “arc of instability”, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee says that India was prepared to work with the world to restore peace in the area.

In his intervention at the Asia Europe Meeting (EAM) at Hamburg end-June, Mukherjee also spoke of the need to engage Iran “purposefully and candidly” on its controversial nuclear programme.
This was the first time that India attended the EAM. A copy of the minister’s speech was made available here.

Noting that international development activity in a large swathe of southern Afghanistan “has slowed down to the point of being non-existent”, he said India had a programme to assist Afghanistan and added: “Developmental efforts have to be simultaneously accompanied by action on the security front."

“On our part, we are ready to work together with Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the international community towards this end,” Mukherjee said.

Pointing to the “prominent landmarks” of the gains so far in Afghanistan like the successful conduct of presidential and parliamentary polls, the minister said: “But the challenges remain, indeed they have grown and the resurgence of the Taliban has set the entire process on precarious ground”.

According to Mukherjee, the increase in suicide attacks, kidnappings “and most of all the growing strength of the Taliban through Afghanistan’s south make us now confront a problem which has acquired threatening proportions and which calls for a well thought out counter strategy.

“An oft repeated truism stares us in the face; if we forget history, we will be condemned to repeat it,” the minister added.

Urging the international community to “do all that it can” to “prevent the re-enactment of the ghastly dance of death of the past”, Mukherjee said “the area of instability now covers both sides of the Durand Line.

“It radiates and projects its influence in all areas west of the Indus. Early warning signs of this happening were perhaps ignored. We now face a situation where in a large swathe of Southern Afghanistan, international development activity has slowed down to the point of being nonexistent,” Mukherjee noted.

Noting that “the arc of instability is spreading”, the minister pointed out that Afghanistan’s “concerns” at the incidence of cross-border infiltration have been accompanied by serious clashes between the border guards of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“The international community must stand united with the Afghan people and reassure them that we intend to stay the course. As a victim of the evil of terrorism, we knew that the fight against global terrorism was never going to be an easy one.

“We cannot allow our enthusiasm to wane or improvise solutions by way of compromises - whether with the Taliban or with others. We are dealing with a globally and regionally interconnected alliance of terrorist groups,” Mukherjee maintained.

Warning against a policy of appeasement towards Al Qaeda and the Taliban, he said the two groups “feed off each other, nourish and protect each other and actively cooperate in carrying out attacks against their enemies - which include most of us present here today!”

“Appeasement will only embolden them and they will use every concession to undermine, cripple and destroy the very base of the democratic and plural structure that the international community seeks to build there.

“What can we do? We have to be determined to stay the course and deal with the security challenge as well as the developmental effort,” the minister said.

Urging efforts to bridge the gap between pledged contributions and actual inflows, Mukherjee said: “Developmental activity cannot be allowed to suffer."

“India on its part will do what it can. We have a large and ambitious assistance programme in place, ranging from roads and hydroelectricity to small developmental projects, education and training. Much more needs to be done,” the minister added.

Turning to Iran, he called for its purposeful engagement, even as he reminded Tehran of its international obligations.

“Iran must be engaged purposefully and candidly - not by demonising its social and cultural mores but by recognizing their internal dynamics even while we may not accept them for ourselves,” the minister maintained.

At the same time, “Iran has to be mindful of its international obligations, but progress on the issues that concerns will not be possible by the use or the threat of use of force or sanctions,” Mukherjee said.

The minister reminded his audience that in Iran, the international community was dealing “with not just a political entity but also a cultural force that takes great pride in its civilizational achievements."

“For those of us who inhabit the same region as Iran and are aware of the richness of its history and culture, and he pride they take in their civilization, it is axiomatic that threats against or denigration of the country will not work.

“It is only engagement which will enable us to see that Iran views following its international obligations as being in its pragmatic self interest,” the minister added.

Noting that Iran was a country of “tremendous natural and human resources”, Mukherjee said the development of these resources will make Iran a factor for regional security.

“The threat or the implied threat of use of military or economic force will not,” he added.