Heart of Asia summit

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In news : Recently, Indian External Affairs Minister participated in the ninth Ministerial Conference of Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process (HoA-IP) on Afghanistan in Dushanbe in Tajikistan 

Key updates

• The conference, being hosted in Tajikistan, is focused on strengthening a regional and international consensus for Afghan peace.
• India’s stand: 
  • Calling for a “double peace” both inside Afghanistan and in the region, External Affairs Minister said India supports the Intra-Afghan Negotiations (IAN), in a rare direct reference to the Taliban at the 9th Heart of Asia conference in Tajikistan.
  • The Minister said that India has been supportive of all the efforts being made to accelerate the dialogue between the Afghan government and the Taliban, including intra-Afghan negotiations
  • He added that if the peace process is to be successful, then it is necessary to ensure that the negotiating parties continue to engage in good faith, with a serious commitment towards reaching a political solution
• He attended the meet along with foreign ministers of 15 countries, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, Iran, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Central Asian states.

About Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process (HoA-IP)

1. Formation: It was founded on November 2nd, 2011 in Istanbul, Turkey
2. It is a regional initiative of Afghanistan and the Republic of Turkey,
3. Its motto is “İstanbul Process on Regional Security and Cooperation for a Secure and Stable AfghanistaN”.
4. The Heart of Asia provides a platform for sincere and results-oriented regional cooperation by placing Afghanistan at its center, in recognition of the fact that a secure and stable Afghanistan is vital to the prosperity of the Heart of Asia region.
5. This platform was established to address the shared challenges and interests of Afghanistan and its neighbors and regional partners.
6. Composition: It comprises 15 participating countries, 17 supporting countries, and 12 supporting regional and international organizations. India is also part of it.
7. Chair: Heart of Asia Istanbul Process, HoA IP, has two chairs, Permanent chair and a Co-chair. Afghanistan is the permanent chair. The co-chairing shifts among the member states. Each year one-member state volunteer to co-chair the process with Afghanistan.

The process has three main pillars stated as:

1. The political consultation: It was created in recognition of the need to build and strengthen trust in the region.
2.  Confidence Building Measure (CBM): It provides a framework for a specific issue that is a regional priority, each CBM has a dedicated focal point responsible for the coordination of efforts towards reaching and adopting an Implementation Plan by the lead and supporting that specific CBM
3. Cooperation with Regional Organizations: The heart of Asia – Istanbul Process emphasizes on creating synergy with other regional organizations and their efforts in the areas of security, economic cooperation and people – to – people relations

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