Taliban FM begins first visit by senior Afghan leader to India since 2021

Amir Khan Muttaqi’s travel made imaginable aft a UN committee temporarily lifted a question prohibition connected him to let diplomatic engagements abroad.

Afghanistan’s United Nations-sanctioned overseas curate has arrived successful India, the archetypal sojourn by a apical Taliban person since they returned to powerfulness successful 2021, pursuing the withdrawal of United States-led forces and the autumn of Kabul.

Amir Khan Muttaqi’s travel connected Thursday was made imaginable aft the UN Security Council granted him a question waiver and is expected to beryllium intimately watched by India’s determination foe Pakistan, arsenic New Delhi deepens its engagement with the Taliban government.

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“We look guardant to engaging discussions with him connected bilateral relations and determination issues,” Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said successful a statement, offering Muttaqi a “warm welcome”.

Muttaqi, who met with India’s overseas caput Vikram Misri successful January successful Dubai, is acceptable to clasp talks with its outer affairs minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Neither broadside has disclosed the agenda, but commercialized and information are apt to beryllium astatine the forefront, though India has not extended its ceremonial designation to the Taliban authorities yet.

Moscow’s recognition

The travel highlights Taliban efforts to grow engagement with determination powers successful a quest for economical ties and eventual diplomatic recognition.

Muttaqi’s sojourn follows meetings successful Russia – the lone state truthful acold to person officially recognised the Taliban administration.

India has agelong hosted tens of thousands of Afghans, galore who fled the state aft the Taliban returned to power.

Afghanistan’s embassy successful New Delhi unopen successful 2023, though consulates successful Mumbai and Hyderabad inactive run constricted services.

India says its ngo successful Kabul is constricted to coordinating humanitarian aid.

On Tuesday, Muttaqi attended a determination gathering successful Moscow wherever Afghanistan’s neighbours, including India, Pakistan, Iran, China and respective Central Asian countries, issued a associated connection opposing the deployment of overseas subject infrastructure successful the region.

The statement, a uncommon showing of a unified front, was regarded arsenic a awesome of opposition to US President Donald Trump’s stated objective to retake power of the Bagram subject basal adjacent Kabul.