US will not leave Afghanistan, says ex-Afghan president Hamid Karzai at Raisina Dialogue

New Delhi, Jan 10: Speaking at the three-day Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi which concluded on Thursday, January 10, former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai expressed his belief that the US is not going to exit the war-ravaged South Asian nation.

Karzai, who served as the president of Afghanistan between 2001 and 2014 after the US attacked the country in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, said the US forces will stay in Afghanistan at least in the form of bilateral security agreement. He also said that Washington is discussing military bases with the Taliban during their talks which makes his impression even stronger that the US is not going to leave Afghanistan. The 61-year-old leader also said that he thinks that both the US and Pakistan can play a key role in bringing peace to the country which has been ravaged by all forms of problems and the US occupation for over 17 years hasn't succeeded in finding peace.

Karzai, who has a close connection with India since his formative years, said the peace process in Afghanistan will not succeed unless it is led by the Afghans only and not supported by the neighbouring countries.

The former president also lauded India's role in Afghanistan and said New Delhi should now a "larger" role though he did not elaborate the "larger" role that he expects from India.

Fourth edition of Raisina Dialogue held

This year saw the fourth edition of the Raisina Dialogue which is India's flagship annual geopolitical and geostrategic conference and the Ministry of External Affairs organised the latest edition in partnership with New Delhi-based think tank Observer Research Foundation. The latest edition of the event was themed: "A World Reorder: New Geometries; Fluid Partnerships; Uncertain Outcomes". Delegates from 93 countries came together for the dialogue.