S Jaishankar with Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar

Jaishankar arrived in the Tajik capital on Tuesday for a two-day visit to attend meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Foreign Ministers and the SCO Contact Group on Afghanistan

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday met his Afghanistan counterpart, Mohammad Haneef Atmar, in Dushanbe and discussed the situation in the war-torn country.

Jaishankar arrived in the Tajik capital on Tuesday for a two-day visit to attend meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Foreign Ministers and the SCO Contact Group on Afghanistan.

“Began my Dushanbe visit by meeting with Afghan FM @MHaneefAtmar. Appreciate his update on recent developments. Looking forward to the meeting of the SCO Contact Group on Afghanistan tomorrow,” Jaishankar tweeted.

The SCO contact group meeting on Afghanistan assumes significance as it comes amidst growing global concerns over Taliban fighters rapidly seizing control of areas in Afghanistan.

India has evacuated nearly 50 diplomats and security personnel from its consulate in Kandahar in the wake of intense fighting between Afghan forces and Taliban militants.

India has been a major stakeholder in peace and stability of Afghanistan. New Delhi has been supporting a national peace and reconciliation process which is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled.