A high-level Indian diplomatic delegation held meetings with the Taliban administration along with former Afghan president Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan’s Kabul for the first time since the Taliban seized power in August 2021.
“The delegation was led by MEA Joint Secretary PAI (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran). India had opened a technical mission in Kabul in June 2022 and since then the mission is facilitating and coordinating our ongoing humanitarian assistance endeavors,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
The delegation met Afghan Minister of Foreign Affairs Maulvi Amir Khan Muttaqi, senior Afghan authorities, representatives of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), and the Afghan business community.
“The delegation held discussions on India’s humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and also discussed the use of Chabahar port by Afghan traders,” added Jaiswal.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said that India showed interest in boosting political and economic cooperation with Afghanistan via Chabahar port.
“Economic and transit issues were discussed comprehensively. Calling the relations between India and Afghanistan historic, Mr. JP Singh had said that India provided humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan in various areas in the past two and a half years,” Balkhi added.
The Indian government can provide useful consultations to Afghanistan, he concluded.
