"Afghan Territory Must Not Be Used For Terror": India, Australia After 2+2 Talks

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held talks with Australian counterparts Marise Payne and Peter Dutton.

India and Australia today asserted that Afghanistan must not allow its soil to be used in any manner for terrorism and it should never again become a safe haven for "breeding and training" of terrorists, as the two countries held a detailed discussion on the situation in the war-torn country after its takeover by the Taliban. At the inaugural India-Australia two-plus-two dialogue, the foreign and defence ministers of the two countries also vowed to work towards a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, a region that has been witnessing increasing Chinese assertiveness. With the dialogue coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks that led to the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, both sides strongly called for combating terrorism without any compromise. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held extensive in-person talks with their Australian counterparts Marise Payne and Peter Dutton.