New Delhi: India will reopen its embassy in Kabul, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said on Friday, in a meeting with his Afghan counterpart, Amir Khan Muttaqi, the first senior official from Afghanistan visiting New Delhi since the Taliban took power in 2021.
India closed its embassy when the Taliban took control four years ago, when Afghanistan’s Western-backed regime collapsed and US-led troops withdrew after two decades of military occupation.
Like all other countries, except for Russia, India also does not officially recognize Afghanistan’s Taliban administration, but in 2022, it opened what it called a “technical mission” to facilitate trade and humanitarian aid.
The mission will now be upgraded, Jaishankar told Muttaqi during their live-streamed meeting in New Delhi.
“Your visit marks an important step in advancing our ties and affirming the enduring friendship between India and Afghanistan,” he said.
