India to upgrade Kabul mission to full embassy, signaling deeper ties with Taliban
SRINAGAR: India is upgrading its technical mission in Kabul to a full embassy, India’s foreign minister announced Friday after meeting his Afghanistan counterpart in New Delhi. The announcement was made during the first high-level diplomatic engagement since the Taliban seized power in 2021 after two decades of US military presence.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said India was committed to Afghanistan’s development and pledged support in sectors including trade, health and education. He said New Delhi is committed to Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Closer cooperation between us contributes to your national development, as well as regional stability and resilience,” he said, addressing Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi at a joint press briefing after their meeting in New Delhi.
Muttaqi, who is among multiple Afghan Taliban leaders under UN sanctions that include travel bans and asset freezes, arrived in New Delhi on Thursday after the UN Security Council Committee granted him a temporary travel exemption. The visit follows Muttaqi’s participation Tuesday at an international meeting on Afghanistan in Russia that included representatives of China, India, Pakistan and some central Asian countries.
