New Delhi: India will reopen its embassy in Kabul, external affairs minister S Jaishankar told Afghanistan’s foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Friday.
The meeting between the two leaders was the first high-level engagement between the two countries since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021 following the withdrawal of US troops.
“We welcome you and your delegation to India. This visit marks a step in advancing our ties. We had opportunities to speak with each other during the Pahalgam attack and earthquakes in Afghanistan,” Jaishankar told Muttaqi.
“Meeting in person has special value in changing perspectives and sharing interests. As a contiguous neighbour and a well-wisher of the Afghan people, India has a deep interest in your development and progress,” he added.
India’s decision to reopen its embassy in Kabul marks a major diplomatic step towards strengthening bilateral ties with the Taliban-ruled administration.
“India is fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan. Closer cooperation between us contributes to your national development, as well as regional stability and resilience. To enhance that, I am pleased to announce today the upgrading of India’s Technical Mission in Kabul to the status of the Embassy of India,” Jaishankar said.
Muttaqi, one of the Taliban leaders under UN sanctions, arrived in New Delhi on Thursday after receiving a temporary travel exemption from the UN Security Council. His visit comes shortly after he attended an international conference on Afghanistan in Russia, which included representatives from India, China, Pakistan, Iran and Central Asian nations.
The visit of the Afghan foreign minister to New Delhi has caused severe discomfort to Pakistan.
“Afghans have always stood with India — yesterday, today, and tomorrow,” Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif said in Islamabad. This came after the Pakistan Air Force carried out airstrikes on Kabul on Thursday night.
