India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai, marking the highest-level engagement between India and the Taliban since their takeover of Kabul in 2021. The meeting signals India’s readiness to strengthen its ties with Taliban-led Afghanistan by addressing the pressing development needs of the Afghan people.
During the talks, Misri conveyed India’s concerns over Pakistan-based terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Muttaqi assured that Afghan territory would not be used to threaten India’s security, emphasising the Taliban’s sensitivity to India’s concerns. This assurance comes amidst rising tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan over cross-border militancy.
India has so far maintained a humanitarian approach towards Afghanistan, sending 50,000MT of wheat, medical supplies, and vaccines since late 2021. At the meeting, Misri announced India’s willingness to consider resuming development projects, in addition to the ongoing humanitarian assistance. The health sector and refugee rehabilitation were highlighted as key areas for immediate support.
The Taliban reiterated their commitment to ensuring adequate security for Indian diplomatic missions and projects. They also expressed interest in enhancing trade, political ties, and visa facilitation for Afghan businessmen, students, and patients.
Both sides discussed leveraging Chabahar Port for trade and agreed on promoting sports cooperation, particularly cricket, which holds great significance for Afghan youth.
