Afghanistan’s Taliban foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, met Indian external affairs minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi on Friday. This marks the first high-level diplomatic engagement between India and the Taliban regime since it took power in 2021.
During the meeting, Muttaqi reassured India that Afghanistan would not allow any group to use its territory against another country.
“In the recent earthquake in Afghanistan, India was the first responder. Afghanistan looks at India as a close friend. We want relations based on mutual respect, trade, and people-to-people ties. We are ready to create a consultative mechanism to strengthen our relations,” Muttaqi said.
“I am happy to be in Delhi. This visit will increase the understanding between the two countries. India and Afghanistan should increase their engagements and exchanges… We will not allow any group to use our territory against others,” he added.
India to Reopen Embassy in Kabul
During the talks, Jaishankar announced that India will reopen its embassy in Kabul, which was closed in 2021 following the Taliban takeover. India had later opened a small mission to facilitate trade, medical support, and humanitarian aid.
“India is fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Afghanistan,” Jaishankar said.
“Closer cooperation between us contributes to your national development, as well as regional stability and resilience,” he added, noting that India’s technical mission in Kabul will be upgraded to a full embassy.
No specific timeline for reopening the embassy was shared.
Significance of the Visit
Muttaqi’s six-day India visit follows his participation in an international meeting on Afghanistan in Russia, attended by representatives from China, India, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
The visit highlights the Taliban administration’s push for international recognition and India’s strategic efforts to strengthen its influence in Afghanistan amid the presence of regional rivals such as Pakistan and China.
Prior engagements between the two sides included meetings in Dubai, phone calls between Muttaqi and Jaishankar, and a visit by India’s special envoy to Afghanistan in April to discuss political and trade relations.
