India restores full embassy in Kabul

In a significant diplomatic move, India has restored its technical mission in Kabul to the status of a full-fledged Embassy, marking a major step in re-establishing its formal diplomatic presence in Afghanistan after more than three years.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Tuesday that the decision was taken in line with the understanding reached during the recent visit of Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to New Delhi.

“In keeping with the decision announced during the recent visit of the Afghan Foreign Minister to India, the government is restoring the status of the Technical Mission of India in Kabul to that of Embassy of India in Afghanistan with immediate effect,” the MEA said in a statement.

The move, it said, “underscores India’s resolve to deepen its bilateral engagement with the Afghan side in all spheres of mutual interest”.

The Embassy, the statement added, will further strengthen India’s contribution to Afghanistan’s comprehensive development, humanitarian assistance and capacity-building initiatives, “in keeping with the priorities and aspirations of Afghan society”.

The decision comes just days after Muttaqi’s high-profile visit to India, during which both sides discussed expanding cooperation in trade, connectivity, humanitarian aid and education. New Delhi had then indicated that it would upgrade its technical mission in Kabul, which had been operating since 2022 with limited staff, to a full Embassy.

India had withdrawn its diplomatic personnel from Kabul in August 2021 following the Taliban takeover, though it continued to deliver humanitarian and medical assistance through international and local partners.

The restoration of the Embassy signals a calibrated but steady re-engagement with Afghanistan under Taliban control, with New Delhi aiming to protect its developmental projects, maintain people-to-people contacts and ensure regional stability.