India does not officially recognize the Taliban government, but has engaged with Kabul since 2021.
Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi will visit India next week, as both countries focus on a development partnership. Muttaqi has been Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister since the Taliban took control in August 2021. His visit comes after he received a travel exemption from the United Nations Security Council.
To travel internationally, Muttaqi required a waiver from the UN’s 1988 Sanctions Committee. He is expected to be in Delhi from October 9 to 10. The visit is also linked to his visit to the Moscow format talks on Afghanistan.
India does not officially recognize the Taliban government, but has engaged with Kabul since 2021. The focus has been on humanitarian aid and trade, particularly through the Chabahar Port project.
Earlier this year, in January, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Muttaqi in Dubai. They discussed India’s humanitarian aid to Afghanistan’s health sector and refugee rehabilitation. Afghan officials have described India as a “significant regional and economic partner.”
In April, Indian diplomat Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary of the Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran division, met Muttaqi in Kabul. In May, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar spoke with him after India conducted Operation Sindoor following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Afghanistan condemned the Pahalgam terror attack. Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan categorically condemns the recent attack on tourists in the Pahalgam region... such incidents undermine efforts to ensure regional security and stability.”
India suspended its diplomatic mission in Kabul after the Taliban takeover in 2021 but reopened it in July 2022. India deployed a technical team, and then-Joint Secretary JP Singh met with Taliban leaders. Since then, India has prioritized humanitarian support for Afghans.
Following the September earthquake, India quickly provided 1,000 family tents and 15 tonnes of food to affected provinces. Another 21 tonnes of relief materials, including medicines, hygiene kits, blankets, and generators, were dispatched.
Since August 2021, India has supplied about 50,000 tonnes of wheat, over 330 tonnes of medicines and vaccines, 40,000 litres of pesticides, and other essential items to support millions of Afghans.
India has partnered with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime to provide 84 MTs of assistance and medicines and 32 MTs of social support items for drug rehabilitation programs, especially for women. Since 2023, India has offered scholarships to 2,000 Afghan students, including nearly 600 girls and women, for undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
The visit of Amir Khan Muttaqi highlights India’s continued pragmatic engagement with Afghanistan. The focus remains on humanitarian aid, education, trade facilitation, and regional stability.
