WEB DESK: India is set to reopen its embassy in Kabul, the Afghan capital, after a four-year closure, as announced by Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Friday.
The embassy was initially shut down in 2021 when the Taliban regained control following the withdrawal of US-led NATO forces. However, India established a limited mission a year later to support trade, provide medical assistance, and deliver humanitarian aid.
Currently, about a dozen nations, including China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkiye, maintain embassy operations in Kabul. Among them, Russia is the only country that has officially recognized the Taliban administration.
India’s decision coincided with a visit to New Delhi by Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. This marks the first visit by a Taliban official to India since 2021. Talks between Muttaqi and Jaishankar highlighted mutual commitments to fostering bilateral relations.
Jaishankar expressed India’s stance by affirming the country’s dedication to Afghanistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence. In response, Muttaqi described India as a close ally and emphasized the importance of mutual respect, trade ties, and people-to-people connections in the relationship.
Muttaqi’s visit follows his participation in a regional meeting held in Moscow. During this gathering, Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, including Pakistan, Iran, China, and several Central Asian states, issued a joint declaration opposing the stationing of foreign military infrastructure in the area. This statement was interpreted as a collective rebuke of a previously articulated aim by former US President Donald Trump to regain control of the Bagram military base near Kabul.
