New Delhi, Oct 9: Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi arrived in New Delhi on Thursday for an official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and discussing regional developments. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), welcoming him on X, stated, “We look forward to engaging discussions with him on bilateral relations and regional issues.”
Muttaqi’s week-long visit, from October 9 to 16, will include meetings with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. The visit marks a significant diplomatic engagement between India and the Taliban-led interim government in Kabul.
Muttaqi’s trip was earlier delayed due to the absence of a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) travel ban exemption. However, the UNSC Committee recently approved his travel to India. “This exemption is now in the public domain. We shall keep you updated,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a media briefing last week.
India has maintained a cautious but consistent engagement with the Taliban regime, focusing on humanitarian support and infrastructure development in Afghanistan. Responding to questions on India’s stance on recognition, Jaiswal said, “We have been having conversations with the interim government in Afghanistan,” highlighting previous exchanges between Jaishankar and Muttaqi, as well as official-level dialogues.
Humanitarian aid and reconstruction are expected to feature prominently during the discussions. India has been actively providing relief to Afghanistan, including immediate assistance following recent earthquakes. “The same day the earthquake struck, we transported relief material to Kunar province and later sent additional aid via Chabahar,” Jaiswal noted.
Muttaqi’s visit follows a series of recent Afghan delegations to India, including Deputy Minister of Medicine and Food Hamdullah Zahid, who attended a major healthcare exhibition last month, underscoring growing functional engagement between the two sides.
