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New Delhi – India has announced plans to upgrade its diplomatic mission in Kabul from a technical office to a full-fledged embassy, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar confirmed on Friday.
The announcement comes as Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is on his first official visit to India since the UN Security Council lifted a temporary travel ban that had previously restricted his movements.
According to Afghan media outlet Amu TV, sources revealed that Muttaqi received special directives from Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada ahead of his planned visits to India and Russia. The report added that Muttaqi travelled to Kandahar to meet Akhundzada before embarking on the trip, though details of their meeting were not disclosed.
India-Afghanistan Relations Enter a New Phase
Speaking after his meeting with Muttaqi in New Delhi, Jaishankar said that India would now upgrade its technical mission in Kabul to an embassy, marking a significant step in bilateral engagement.
The meeting marks the first high-level diplomatic interaction between India and the Taliban-led Afghan government since the group seized power in August 2021 following the withdrawal of US troops.
On his eight-day visit, Muttaqi was accompanied by a high-level Afghan delegation, including Ahmadullah Zahid, Deputy Minister of Commerce and Industry; Mufti Noor Ahmad, Director of the First Political Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA); Abdul Qahhar Balkhi, Director of the Fourth Political Division at MoFA; and Hafiz Zia Takal, Deputy Spokesperson for MoFA.
Jaishankar welcomed Muttaqi and his team, calling the visit a step toward “advancing ties between both countries.” He added, “we had opportunities to speak with each other during the Pahalgam attack and during the recent earthquakes in Afghanistan.”
India’s Minister of External Affairs, in a joint press conference with Amir Khan Muttaqi, stated that Afghanistan and India remain committed to their shared goal of growth and prosperity. Dr. Jaishankar added that Kabul and New Delhi must coordinate efforts to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
Referring to what he described as the “productive history of cooperation on water management and irrigation” between India and Afghanistan, Jaishankar remarked, “we note the interest expressed by the Afghan side in taking this cooperation further and stand ready to collaborate on the sustainable management of Afghanistan’s water resources.”
The minister reaffirmed India’s support for Afghanistan, stating that “India is fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Afghanistan.” He added that closer cooperation between the two nations would strengthen 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 said.
Speaking alongside Jaishankar, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said his visit marks “a new chapter” in India-Afghanistan relations, expressing hope that through continued talks and dialogue, both countries could “increase the level of understanding” between them.
He also noted that despite “many ups and downs during the American occupation,” the Taliban “never gave a statement against India” and “always sought good relations.”
Muttaqi praised India’s humanitarian response during recent natural disasters, adding, “Afghanistan looks at India as a close friend. We want relations based on mutual respect, trade and people-to-people ties.”
Regional Context and Broader Implications
India has not officially recognised the Taliban government but has gradually taken measured steps to restore engagement through humanitarian and technical channels. Regional observers suggest that by elevating the level of its diplomatic engagement, New Delhi has effectively extended unannounced recognition to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, marking a subtle yet significant shift in its regional approach.
While India has refrained from issuing a formal declaration, the move underscores a pragmatic acknowledgment of the Taliban’s political reality and reflects New Delhi’s intent to preserve strategic influence in Afghanistan amid growing Chinese and Russian presence in the region.
The development follows Muttaqi’s participation in a regional conference in Moscow, where Afghanistan’s neighbours, including Pakistan, Iran, China, and the Central Asian republics, issued a joint statement opposing the establishment of foreign military infrastructure in the region. The statement was widely seen as a collective rejection of US ambitions to regain control of the Bagram Air Base near Kabul.
Currently, Russia remains the only country to have formally recognised the Taliban administration. India, which closed its embassy in Kabul after the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, later reopened a limited technical mission to facilitate trade, humanitarian aid, and consular coordination.
Today, about a dozen countries, including China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkiye, maintain embassies in Kabul; though most have stopped short of granting official recognition to the Taliban-led government.
