Brandnew Delhi: S. Jaishankar, Republic of India’s Exterior Affairs Minister had a decision with Afghanistan’s performing Overseas Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi Thursday, marking the primary high-level political interplay between Brandnew Delhi and Kabul, for the reason that go back of the Taliban to energy within the Central Asian nation in August 2021.
“Deeply appreciate his condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Welcomed his firm rejection of recent attempts to create distrust between India and Afghanistan through false and baseless reports,” stated Jaishankar in a publish on X.
The Indian Exterior Affairs Minister added: “Underlined our traditional friendship with the Afghan people and continuing support for their development needs. Discussed ways and means of taking cooperation forward.”
The decision comes amid tensions between Republic of India and Pakistan for the reason that terrorist assault in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on 22 April, which left 26 lifeless. On 7 Would possibly, Republic of India introduced Operation Sindoor, hanging at 9 terrorist complexes in Pakistan. Islamabad, amid the 4-day conflagration with Republic of India, claimed that Brandnew Delhi introduced missiles at Afghanistan, a declare which was once firmly unwelcome through Kabul.
Just right dialog with Performing Afghan Overseas Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi this night.
Deeply recognize his condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist assault.
Welcomed his company rejection of new makes an attempt to form mistrust between Republic of India and Afghanistan via fake and…
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 15, 2025
The dialog builds on a gathering between Overseas Secretary Vikram Misri and Muttaqi previous this generation in Dubai, as Brandnew Delhi appears to give a boost to its ties with the Taliban regime. The regime returned to energy in Afghanistan in August 2021, following a two-decade insurgency towards the USA and its allies.
Touch between Brandnew Delhi and Kabul remained on the diplomatic point within the intervening duration, basically led through Republic of India’s Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran) within the Ministry of Exterior Affairs.
Regardless that Republic of India does now not recognise the regime, it has maintained a technical project in Kabul since June 2022. The technical project was once at the beginning poised as much as help Republic of India’s humanitarian project in Afghanistan.
On the other hand, with ties excess nerve-racking between the Taliban and Pakistan, with Islamabad sporting out airstrikes around the border in December 2024, killing a minimum of 46 civilians, Republic of India has stepped up its outreach.
“During the discussion, both sides exchanged views on enhancing bilateral relations, promoting trade, and advancing diplomatic engagement. FM Muttaqi referred to India as a key regional country and highlighted the historic nature of Afghanistan-India relations, expressing optimism that these ties will grow stronger,” the Afghan readout of the decision stated, as printed through its Consulate Common in Mumbai.
Ties between Republic of India and the Taliban regime have come some distance since August 2021. Earlier than the go back of the Taliban, Republic of India had invested kind of $3 billion within the nation, throughout 500 initiatives. On the other hand, its investments were held up since 2021, year Brandnew Delhi has persisted its humanitarian aid to the rustic.
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Republic of India’s evolving engagement with Taliban
The Taliban—ousted from energy in 2001 later the USA introduced its World Conflict on Terror based on the 11th of September assaults—persisted to salary an insurgency for the upcoming twenty years.
On 15 August, 2021, the Taliban captured Kabul, returning the regime to energy within the Central Asian nation.
Days then on 17 August, 2021, Republic of India moved its embassy personnel and diplomats in another country and had them go back to Brandnew Delhi. Republic of India introduced evacuation flights, beneath Operation “Devi Shakti”, in order house stranded Indians and Afghan companions, particularly minorities over the upcoming 4 months. More or less 350 Afghan Sikhs have been evacuated from the rustic to Republic of India.
On 31 August, 2021, Republic of India opened direct talks with the Taliban. Republic of India’s nearest Ambassador to Qatar Deepak Mittal met Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the top of the Taliban’s political administrative center in Doha, which was once the primary publicly stated interplay between Brandnew Delhi and the Taliban.
A few months later the go back of the Taliban, in October 2021, Italy referred to as for an abnormal digital assembly of G20 leaders to jerk accumulation of the condition in Afghanistan. Republic of India was once represented through Top Minister Narendra Modi, who “underlined the need to ensure that Afghan territory does not become a source of radicalisation and terrorism, regionally or globally” all the way through the decision.
The similar week, Indian officers as soon as once more met with the Taliban in Moscow, in conjunction with 9 alternative international locations, to speak about the humanitarian aid required for Afghanistan. The assembly additionally was once to gauge how alternative Central Asian countries have been making plans to do business in with the go back of the Taliban.
In Moscow, the Indian delegation was once led through J.P. Singh, the nearest Joint Secretary for the Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran (PAI) section. Singh remained Republic of India’s level particular person for Afghanistan till he was once appointed as ambassador to Israel previous this generation.
A week then, in November, Republic of India hosted the “Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan”, led through Nationwide Safety Assistant Ajit Doval. The heads of 7 Nationwide Safety Councils, representing Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan attended the discussion, and referred to as on Modi.
Pace the multilateral efforts have been to safeguard Afghan field would now not be impaired for terrorism, Republic of India slowly started sending humanitarian aid to the rustic. On 11 December, 2021, Republic of India dispatched scientific provides to Afghanistan, for the Indira Gandhi Youngsters’s Health facility in Kabul.
A couple of weeks then, Republic of India equipped 500,000 doses of COVAXIN to Afghanistan in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, year promising some other 500,000 doses and meals grains to the Central Asian nation.
Ultimately in June 2022, Republic of India opened its technical project in Kabul to coordinate its humanitarian aid efforts, as part of its “step-by-step” manner to opening ties with the Taliban.
On 2 June, 2022, Singh led a delegation to Afghanistan and met with Muttaqi in Kabul. This was once the primary diplomatic delegation from Republic of India to Afghanistan for the reason that go back of the Taliban. Singh remained Republic of India’s level particular person for Afghanistan, making quite a few visits over the upcoming 2 years.
In November 2024, Singh led an Indian delegation, which met with Mullah Yaqoob, Taliban’s performing Defence Minister for the primary month. The engagement with Yaqoob, aside from with Muttaqi, indicated Brandnew Delhi’s rising ties around the Taliban regime.
A week then, ties between the Taliban and Pakistan took a nose-dive following Islamabad’s airstrikes around the border. Inside of a few weeks, Misri was once in Dubai to secure consultations with Muttaqi.
Maximum not too long ago, sooner than Jaishankar’s yelps and days later the Pahalgam terrorist assault, Anand Prakash, the incumbent JS (PAI), travelled to Kabul and held talks with Muttaqi, particularly as tensions between Brandnew Delhi and Islamabad have been emerging.
On one hand, Republic of India has saved the humanitarian aid flowing, at the alternative, it has slowly higher its diplomatic engagement with the Taliban. During those conversations, Republic of India has presented the significance of Chabahar Port in Iran, which is controlled through an Indian company for significance through Afghan businesspersons.
(Edited through Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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