‘Afghanistan looks at India as a close friend, won't allow…': Taliban foreign minister Muttaqi meets Jaishankar
Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar, marking the first high-level talks since 2021.
Afghanistan’s Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met external affairs minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi on Friday, marking the first high-level diplomatic engagement between India and the Taliban regime since it took power in 2021.
Assuring India of Kabul’s stance, Muttaqi said 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 during the meeting.
“I am happy to be in Delhi, and 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.
The Taliban leader arrived in New Delhi after obtaining a temporary travel exemption from the UN Security Council Committee, as he is subject to UN sanctions that include travel bans and asset freezes.
India to reopen its embassy in Kabul
During the meeting, S Jaishankar announced that India will reopen its embassy in the Afghan capital Kabul, that was shut four years ago, a significant move that expands the diplomatic links of the country governed by the Taliban.
India had closed its embassy in Kabul after the Taliban seized power following the withdrawal of US-led NATO forces in 2021, but opened a small mission a year later to facilitate trade, medical support, and humanitarian aid.
About a dozen countries, including China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey, have embassies operating in Kabul.
"India is fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan," Jaishankar told Muttaqi in his opening remarks.
"Closer cooperation between us contributes to your national development, as well as regional stability and resilience," he said, adding that India's "technical mission" in Kabul was being upgraded to an embassy.
Jaishankar did not mention a timeline for the change.
Muttaqi's six-day India visit follows his participation on Tuesday in an international meeting on Afghanistan in Russia, which included representatives from China, India, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
The visit signals the Taliban administration’s push for international recognition while highlighting India’s strategic effort to strengthen its influence in Afghanistan amid the involvement of regional rivals Pakistan and China.
Randhir Jaiswal, spokesman of the MEA , welcomed Muttaqi on X, saying: “We look forward to engaging discussions with him on bilateral relations and regional issues.”
This visit also builds on prior contacts between the two sides. Foreign secretary Vikram Misri met Muttaqi in Dubai in January, followed by phone calls between Muttaqi and EAM Jaishankar. Additionally, India’s special envoy to Afghanistan visited Kabul in April to discuss political and trade relations.
(With inputs from agencies)
