India will take care of its nationals in Afghan

New Delhi, Nov 19: India today ruled out any military action against Taliban in Afghanistan but asserted that it would not succumb to their pressure and would do everything possible for the safety of Indians working on various projects in the war-torn country.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said at a press conference after the conclusion of the two-day Second Regional Economic Cooperation Conference (RECC) on Afghanistan that India had already made security arrangements like Central Paramilitary Forces for the safety and security of its nationals working on various projects.

''We refuse to succumb to the pressure of Taliban. But whatever measures are to be taken for the security of Indian nationals, are being taken in cooperation with the Afghanistan government,'' he said in response to a question.

The two-day Conference which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai yesterday, decided, among other things, to boost cooperation in energy, aviation and transportation and accelerate work on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Gas pipeline project.

In reply to another question on whether India would take military action against Taliban, the External Affairs Minister said there had been no such request from the Afghan government and there was no feasibility either.

''No request has been received from the Afghanistan Government and there is no feasibility either in the near future,'' he said in reply to a question.

Mr Mukherjee was addresssing the Press Conference jointly with the Afghanistan Foreign Minister and the Finance Minister.

UNI