Kaul – Afghanistan’s interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi departed for New Delhi on Wednesday for a week-long diplomatic visit, marking the first top-level Taliban-era visit to India. The Afghan Foreign Ministry confirmed his travel, which comes after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Committee had temporarily lifted the travel ban that had previously prevented his visit.
According to Hafiz Zia Ahmed Takal, deputy spokesman for Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry, Muttaqi is “scheduled to meet his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.” In a video statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Takal added that the discussions will focus on “political, economic, trade, and development relations between Afghanistan and the region.”
The visit, scheduled from October 9 to 16, 2025, reflects a gradual revival in diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and the Taliban-led Afghan interim government. India had shuttered its embassy in Kabul following the fall of the Ashraf Ghani-led Afghan government in August 2021 but re-established a limited presence in 2022 by deploying a “technical team.”
Since then, diplomatic channels between the two sides have gradually reopened. Earlier this year, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar held his first direct call with Muttaqi in May, signaling a shift in New Delhi’s approach. Prior to that, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri led a high-level Indian delegation to meet Muttaqi in Dubai in February, the first such interaction since the Taliban’s return to power.
Muttaqi’s visit comes amid heightened geopolitical strain in South Asia. India has adopted a more assertive stance on regional security, while Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan remain strained due to a surge in cross-border attacks by militants that Islamabad says are operating from Afghan territory.
The Taliban government, while seeking to broaden its diplomatic recognition, faces mounting pressure from neighboring countries to curb terror activities emanating from Afghanistan.
Observers note that the visit could test the balance between India’s security concerns and its strategic interest in maintaining influence in Afghanistan, especially amid growing Chinese and Pakistani engagement in the region.
