India is set to upgrade its technical mission in Kabul to a full-fledged embassy, marking a major step toward restoring formal diplomatic relations with Afghanistan under Taliban rule. The announcement was made by Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Friday during a bilateral meeting with his Afghan counterpart, Amir Khan Muttaqi, who is currently visiting New Delhi.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, Jaishankar said that India’s technical mission — which has been functioning since 2022 to facilitate trade, humanitarian aid, and medical support — will now be expanded into an official embassy. The move signals a cautious but significant shift in India’s engagement policy toward Afghanistan, reflecting New Delhi’s interest in reestablishing its longstanding ties with the Afghan people and government.
India had closed its embassy in Kabul in August 2021 following the US withdrawal and the Taliban’s return to power, citing security concerns. A year later, India reopened a limited mission to maintain essential diplomatic and humanitarian functions. Now, with the planned upgrade, India appears ready to deepen its involvement in Afghanistan’s reconstruction and regional diplomacy.
Jaishankar emphasized that the visit by the Afghan foreign minister marked a step forward in “advancing ties” between the two nations. He reiterated India’s “full commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Afghanistan,” adding that stronger cooperation would enhance “regional stability and resilience.”
“As a contiguous neighbour and a well-wisher of the Afghan people, India has a deep interest in your development and progress,” Jaishankar said, underscoring New Delhi’s desire to contribute positively to Afghanistan’s recovery.
Meanwhile, Amir Khan Muttaqi expressed gratitude toward India, noting that New Delhi was the first to respond to the recent earthquake in Afghanistan with humanitarian assistance. He described India as a “close friend” and said that Kabul seeks “relations based on mutual respect, trade, and people-to-people connections.”
Muttaqi’s visit is particularly significant as it marks the first trip to India by a senior Taliban leader since the group took control of Afghanistan in 2021. While India does not officially recognize the Taliban administration, it has been gradually warming up to limited diplomatic engagement, holding meetings with Afghan officials in Doha and other neutral venues over the past two years.
The visit comes shortly after Muttaqi’s participation in a regional summit in Moscow, attended by Afghanistan’s neighbours, including Pakistan, Iran, China, and several Central Asian states. The countries issued a joint statement opposing the deployment of any foreign military infrastructure in the region — a message widely interpreted as a rebuke to US President Donald Trump’s stated objective of regaining control over the Bagram air base near Kabul.
So far, Russia remains the only country to have formally recognized the Taliban government, but India’s latest move to upgrade its diplomatic presence signals a pragmatic approach to maintaining influence and stability in the region.
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