NEW DELHI: India will not be holding talks with the Taliban , the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified in a press briefing on Friday. India will be participating in the Moscow conference but will not be indulging in any direct talks with the Taliban.

"We have made it clear already that our participation is at a non-official level . Don't know how people are concluding that there will be talks with the Taliban, its a meeting on Afghanistan in Moscow," said Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson of MEA.

Kumar added that India's policy on Afghanistan remains unchanged.

"If any process is consistent with our policy on Afghanistan then we will be part of it and our policy on Afghanistan is that we will be supporting any efforts which will help in usher peace in the region," he said.

Afghan leaders, Taliban attend peace talks in Moscow

Moscow on Friday hosted international talks on Afghanistan aimed at kickstarting direct negotiations between Kabul and the Taliban militant group, both of whom sent delegations.

Taliban has sent five representatives but has made it clear that "they will not hold any sort of negotiations" with the delegation of Kabul administration.

This is the first time that a Taliban delegation is taking part in such high-level international meeting. The Taliban is banned from operating in Russia as it is classified as a "terrorist organisation".

MEA also announced that PM Narendra Modi will attend the swearing-in ceremony of Maldivian president-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih next week.

(With inputs from agencies)