NEW DELHI: The landmark visit by Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India Friday saw India declaring it will upgrade its technical mission in Kabul to the level of embassy, while announcing a slew of projects and humanitarian gestures to advance ties with Afghanistan. External affairs minister S Jaishankar said cooperation between the two sides contributes to Afghanistan’s national development, as well as regional stability and resilience, as he announced a formal reopening of the embassy.Muttaqi said after the meeting that India too had agreed to receive Afghan diplomats here, although not at the ambassador level. While not a formal recognition of the regime in Kabul, the upgrade still marks a significant boost for diplomatic ties and ongoing efforts to remove hurdles in further deepening economic cooperation. India shut its embassy in Kabul after the return of the Taliban to Kabul in 2021 but, in June 2022, the govt positioned a technical team in the embassy mainly to supervise distribution of humanitarian aid.In the meeting, Jaishankar underlined India’s concerns about cross-border border terrorism, including the activities of Pakistan-based terror groups with possible links in Afghanistan, and Muttaqi assured him that the Taliban won’t allow any group to use the country against others. Without naming Pakistan, both sides unequivocally condemned all acts of terrorism emanating from regional countries in a joint statement, while underscoring the importance of promoting peace, stability and mutual trust in the region.With the Taliban’s ties with Pakistan going into a tailspin over the activities of Tehreek-e-Taliban, Jaishankar stressed India is fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan and got the same assurance from Muttaqi.Without naming Pak, India and Taliban slam cross-border terrorWithout naming Pakistan, both sides unequivocally condemned all acts of terrorism emanating from regional countries in a joint statement, while underscoring the importance of promoting peace, stability and mutual trust in the region. With the Taliban’s ties with Pakistan going into a tailspin over the activities of Tehreek-e-Taliban, Jaishankar also stressed India is fully committed to sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan and got the same assurance from Muttaqi.“We have a common commitment towards growth and prosperity. However, these are endangered by the shared threat of cross-border terrorism that both our nations face. We must coordinate efforts to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” said Jaishankar in his opening remarks, as he appreciated Taliban’s sensitivity towards India’s security concerns and the solidarity in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.Muttaqi also invited Indian companies to invest in the mining sector, saying this would help strengthen bilateral trade and commercial relations. According to a joint statement, India expressed its willingness to assist the Afghan govt in reconstructing residential buildings in earthquake-affected areas.The Indian side expressed concern about the plight of forcibly repatriated Afghan refugees, saying their dignity and livelihood is important and agreeing to help construct residences for them and continue providing material aid to rebuild their lives.Jaishankar said India’s longstanding development partnership with Afghanistan, which has seen more than 500 Indian projects spread across all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, stood renewed, and announced the launch of six new projects. “As a contiguous neighbour and a well-wisher of the Afghan people, India has a deep interest in your development and progress,” said Jaishankar.There was also focus on sports, especially cricket, to advance cultural interactions, with Jaishankar saying the emergence of Afghan cricketing talent had been truly impressive. He also committed to expanding avenues for Afghan students to pursue studies at Indian universities, citing more Indian visas for Afghans in medical, business and student categories.He also announced a gift of 20 ambulances, in addition to MRI and CT scan machines to Afghan hospitals and vaccines for immunisation and cancer medicines. Jaishankar also announced projects to boost Afghanistan’s healthcare, public infrastructure and capacity-building, including the establishment of a thalassemia centre and five maternity health clinics.
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