India on the edge to repone its India's mission in Afghanistan as External Affairs Minister (MEA) Dr. S Jaishankar met Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Delhi on his visit to India. Muttaqi arrive in India on Wednesday for a week-long visit.
The meeting between Taliban minister marks the first ministerial-level visit from the Afghanistan government to India since the group took control of Kabul in August 2021. India had closed its embassy as well as consulates in Afghanistan after the Taliban took control. Following this, India re-established its diplomatic presence in the country in 2022 by sending a technical team to Afghanistan.
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Jaishankar said that India will now upgrade its technical mission in the Afghan capital of Kabul to an embassy. “We had opportunities to speak with each other during the Pahalgam attack and earthquakes in Afghanistan,” Jaishankar said.
The EAM said that India was “fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan." He said that “closer cooperation” between India and Afghanistan would contribute to “regional stability and resilience.” “As a contiguous neighbour and a well-wisher of the Afghan people, India has a deep interest in your development and progress,” Jaishankar added.
Muttaqi said that India was the first country to respond during the recent earthquake in Afghanistan. “Afghanistan looks at India as a close friend. Afghanistan wants relations based on mutual respect, trade and people-to-people relations,” the Afghan Foreign Minister said.