India’s external affairs minister, S Jaishankar, met with Afghanistan’s Taliban foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, in New Delhi on Friday. This was the first high-level meeting between the two countries since 2021, and it marked a significant diplomatic development as India announced plans to reopen its embassy in Kabul, four years after it was closed after the Taliban took over.
The conference, which is regarded as a significant change in India’s approach to Afghanistan, emphasized New Delhi’s intention to restore a formal diplomatic presence in the war-torn nation while striking a balance between its strategic objectives and those of China and Pakistan, two regional competitors.
Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s “full commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan”, stressing that deeper cooperation would aid both Afghanistan’s development and regional stability.
:Amir Khan Muttaqi said Afghanistan “will not allow any group to use its territory against others”, a statement seen as reassurance to India regarding terrorism concerns.
Both parties placed a strong focus on trade, humanitarian assistance, and interpersonal relationships; Muttaqi referred to India as a “close friend” and supported a “consultative mechanism” to improve ties.
The encounter underlines Kabul’s desire for greater diplomatic legitimacy and shows India’s practical involvement with the Taliban in the face of escalating regional competition with China and Pakistan.
Muttaqi also said the Taliban never “gave a statement against India” amid the “many ups and downs” witnessed during the American occupation of Afghanistan, and instead “always sought good relations with India”.
