Af minister arrives on 8-day visit today

Afghanistan’s Interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi will arrive in India tomorrow for an eight-day visit — his first to the country since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.

Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesman for Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry, said in a post on X that Muttaqi is scheduled to meet his Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar, along with several officials, to discuss political, economic, trade and other matters related to expanding ties between Kabul and New Delhi. Muttaqi arrives from Moscow, where he attended the Russia-led “Moscow Format” dialogue on Afghanistan.

The meeting between Muttaqi and Jaishankar is expected to focus on counter-terrorism and trade relations, including US-imposed sanctions on Iran’s Chabahar port. Last month, the US withdrew exemptions given to India for operating through the port, which has a seamless road connection to Afghanistan. New Delhi’s humanitarian and developmental assistance to Afghanistan will also figure prominently in the talks.

Muttaqi is also expected to meet National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. While India does not formally recognise the Taliban regime, the Afghan minister will be accorded full diplomatic protocol. Over the past year, New Delhi has made careful overtures, most recently opposing the presence of “foreign countries’ bases” in the region — a reference to US President Donald Trump’s call seeking back the Bagram air base in Afghanistan.

New Delhi closed its embassy in Kabul immediately after the Taliban’s return to power but resumed operations with a “technical team” in 2022. Since then, India has begun directly engaging with the interim Taliban administration. Jaishankar held his first direct conversation with Muttaqi in May, while in February a high-level Indian delegation led by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Muttaqi in Dubai. Last year, another Indian delegation visited Afghanistan for high-level talks.

For New Delhi, this visit marks a significant shift in its stance towards the Taliban government — engaging them without extending formal recognition.

Muttaqi has been granted a travel exemption by the UN Security Council Committee to visit New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a news conference last Friday. Sources told The Tribune that India had formally sought the UNSC exemption.