Afghanistan’s foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with India’s external affairs minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi on Friday, marking the first high-level diplomatic engagement between the Taliban-led government and India since the group took control of Kabul in 2021.
Muttaqi assured India that Afghanistan would not allow its territory to be used by any group 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,” he said during the talks.
“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,” Muttaqi added.
The Taliban foreign minister’s visit was made possible after he received a temporary travel exemption from the UN Security Council Committee, as he remains under sanctions that include a travel ban and asset freeze.
During the meeting, Jaishankar announced that India would reopen its embassy in Kabul, a major diplomatic step that will restore India’s formal presence in Afghanistan after nearly four years. India had closed its mission in 2021 following the Taliban’s takeover but maintained a small technical office to oversee humanitarian aid, trade, and medical assistance.
“India is fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan,” Jaishankar said in his opening remarks. “Closer cooperation between us contributes to your national development, as well as regional stability and resilience,” he added, noting that India’s current technical mission in Kabul would now be upgraded to a full embassy. Jaishankar, however, did not specify a timeline for reopening the facility.
Muttaqi’s six-day visit to India comes just days after his participation in a multilateral meeting on Afghanistan held in Russia, which included representatives from India, China, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The trip reflects the Taliban government’s renewed efforts to seek international legitimacy while underlining India’s interest in re-establishing a strategic foothold in Afghanistan amid increasing Chinese and Pakistani engagement in the region.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal welcomed Muttaqi on X, saying, “We look forward to engaging discussions with him on bilateral relations and regional issues.”
The visit builds on a series of previous contacts between both sides. Foreign secretary Vikram Misri met Muttaqi in Dubai earlier this year, followed by phone conversations between Muttaqi and Jaishankar. India’s special envoy to Afghanistan also travelled to Kabul in April to explore new opportunities in trade and political cooperation.
