Chidambaram not convinced of UN Afghan resolution

• Shubham
• 01 September, 2021

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By: Shubham Ghosh

FORMER Indian home minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday (1) said it is too premature for India to congratulate itself over the United Nations Security Council adopting a resolution on Afghanistan and cautioned that a possible axis between China, Pakistan and the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan is a cause of worry.

The remarks of the senior Indian National Congress leader came after the council adopted under India’s presidency a strong resolution demanding that the soil of Afghanistan not be used to threaten any country or shelter terrorists and that it expects the Taliban will adhere to its commitments made on safe and orderly departure of all foreign nationals from Afghanistan.

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Reacting to the move, Chidambaram, who has also been one of India’s well-known economists and has served as the country’s finance minister, said the Narendra Modi government is congratulating itself for the council resolution adopted on Afghanistan.

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“‘Resolution’ has two meanings. The first is that the issue has been ‘resolved’ or settled to India’s satisfaction. That is not what happened at the UNSC. The second meaning is that we have put our wishes on paper and got some others to sign that paper! That is what happened at UNSC yesterday,” Chidambaram said on Twitter in Hindi.

अफगानिस्तान पर कल पारित यूएनएससी प्रस्ताव के लिए सरकार खुद को बधाई दे रही है।

‘प्रस्ताव’ के दो अर्थ हैं। पहला यह है कि इस मुद्दे को ‘समाधान’ कर दिया गया है या भारत की संतुष्टि के लिए सुलझा लिया गया है। यूएनएससी में ऐसा नहीं हुआ।

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) September 1, 2021

It is too premature to congratulate ourselves, he said, cautioning that the possible axis of China, Pakistan and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan is a cause of worry.

The council on Monday (30) adopted the resolution sponsored by France, the UK and the US with 13 members voting in favour, none against and permanent and veto-wielding members Russia and China abstaining.

This was the first resolution adopted by the powerful 15-nation council on the situation in Afghanistan following the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban on August 15. It also came on the penultimate day of India’s presidency of the council for the month of August.