New Delhi, Oct 3 The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday confirmed that Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi will be on an official visit to India from October 9-16.
While addressing a media briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Committee has granted exemption for Muttaqi's travel to India.
"All of you would have seen the exemption that has been granted by the UN Security Council Committee for the travel of Afghan Foreign Minister to New Delhi from October 9 to 16. This public information is there in the public domain. We shall keep you updated in this regard," Jaiswal told reporters.
During his visit, the visiting Afghan minister is likely to call on External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval.
As reported by IANS earlier, Muttaqi was supposed to visit India a few weeks ago but had failed to receive a travel ban exemption from the United Nations Security Council.
The visit is part of diplomatic engagements taking place between New Delhi and the Taliban regime over the past many months, including Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's meeting with Muttaqi in January, earlier this year.
Several key officials from Kabul have visited New Delhi in the past few months, including Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Medicine and Food, Hamdullah Zahid, who was in the Indian capital last month for the 11th edition of the International Exhibition on Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare.
Notably, another top Taliban official handling security and strategic affairs, whose identity cannot be revealed, visited the Indian capital last month and left only last week.
"We have been having conversation with the interim government in Afghanistan. You would have seen the telecon that had taken place some time back between External Affairs Minister and Foreign Minister Muttaqi. Also, we've had conversation between the Joint Secretary in charge and his counterparts on the Afghan side. Recently, when the earthquake happened, the same day, we were able to transport relief material to Kunar province and subsequently we sent more relief material via Chabahar," said Jaiswal on Friday.
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