New Delhi: A high-level Indian delegation met the acting Taliban foreign minister in Kabul, marking the first acknowledged meeting between senior officials after the shift of power in Afghanistan in August 2021.
The Indian delegation, which included woman diplomat Deepti Jharwal, discussed economic ties, including the use of Iran’s Chabahar port by Afghan traders, at the meeting.
“We have an Indian delegation led by the Joint Secretary (for) Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). This delegation is on a visit to Afghanistan… During the visit, the delegation held meetings with senior members of the Afghan authorities…Delegation held discussions on India’s humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and also discussed the use of Chabahar port by Afghan traders,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a weekly media briefing Friday.
Details of the meeting that took place Thursday were first announced by the Afghan Taliban spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi on the social media platform ‘X’, formerly Twitter.
“Today, the MEA Joint Secretary of the Republic of India for Af-Ir-Pak, Mr. J.P. Singh called on IEA-Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi. The meeting focused on in-depth discussions on bilateral Afg-India relations, economic and transit matters,” Balkhi said.
The meeting came even as the Indian government has so far not recognised the Taliban regime. India invested $3 billion in Afghanistan in over 500 projects before the Taliban took over three years ago. Since then, New Delhi has continued to offer humanitarian assistance to the war-hit country.
The Afghan readout of the meeting highlighted that Singh commended the efforts of the Taliban in “ensuring overall security and stability, countering narcotics, fighting the ISKP and corruption in the country”.
Muttaqi, the acting foreign minister of the Taliban regime, asked the Indian delegation to facilitate visa issuance processes for businessmen, patients and students, according to the statement released on ‘X’.
Singh also met with former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, officials from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and members of the Afghan business community, Jaiswal explained during the weekly press briefing.
‘Strongly taken up the matter’ of Indians in Russian army
On the issue of Indians duped to work with the Russian army, New Delhi has “strongly taken up the matter” with the government of Russia, the MEA spokesperson said.
“Several Indian nationals have been duped to work with the Russian Army. We have strongly taken up the matter with the Russian government for early discharge of such Indian nationals,” he said.
Jaiswal added that the MEA is working with the Russian authorities for the return of the mortal remains of two Indians who died after being duped into working with the army.
“There are two Indians who have passed away [in Russia]. We are in constant touch with their families. We are trying to get their mortal remains back to India as soon as possible. We are in touch with Russian authorities. Their deaths happened some distance away, in areas far away from the capital,” he said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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