NSA Ajit Doval with Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is meeting his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev in Delhi for high level inter-governmental consultations on Afghanistan. The meeting is being seen as an outcome of a recent telephone conversation between PM Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Issues relating to China, Pakistan and Afghanistan will be in focus at the meeting between the two NSAs, as per government sources.
"All aspects related to Afghanistan and threats emerging out from there will be discussed," a senior official in PMO told NDTV.
Patrushev, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, arrived in Delhi on Tuesday evening; he will also meet PM Modi during his two-day visit, as per the foreign ministry.
The Russian NSA is said to be the most trusted aide of Putin and also shares a close rapport with his Indian counterpart, Mr Doval.
According to the official, Russia is closely cooperating with India to counter the danger of terrorism emerging from Afghanistan.
"Like any other country, even Russia wants an inclusive government in Afghanistan and has made it clear that they also hope that Afghan soil would not be a source of terror emanating to the other countries of the region," he explained.
Counterterrorism cooperation is a key part of the India-Russia dialogue at various levels. Any flare-up of the civilian conflict would result in terrorism spilling over across the region.
Russia and India are also cooperating on Afghanistan within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and its working group on Afghanistan.
Earlier on Monday Russian ambassador Nikolay Kudashev shared concern of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan spreading to Kashmir amid the Taliban takeover of Kabul.
He also said that India and Russia have shared concern over terrorism and added that Afghan soil should not be a source of spreading terrorism to other countries.
Last month, India's deputy NSA Pankaj Saran had visited Moscow and met with Patrushev and discussed Afghanistan.
"That time also, the two sides agreed to step up coordination on Afghanistan," according to government sources.
India and Russia, along with Iran, had backed the Northern Alliance against Taliban between 1996-2001.