New Delhi: Air cargo services between India and Afghanistan are set to be launched soon, a senior Indian foreign ministry official said on Friday, as the two countries seek to recalibrate ties amid strained relations with Pakistan.
The announcement came during a visit to New Delhi by Afghanistan’s Taliban Trade Minister Nooruddin Azizi, who urged India to boost trade and open cargo hubs, as Kabul seeks access to grains, medicines, and industrial goods following the closure of its border with Pakistan after recent military clashes.
Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, said that air freight corridors between Kabul and New Delhi, as well as northern Indian city Amritsar, have been activated, and cargo flights will begin “very soon.” He added, “All formalities on our side are complete. We are waiting for all the paperwork from their side … once they complete them, cargo flights will start.”
Indian airlines currently do not fly to Afghanistan because Pakistan has closed its airspace to them, amid escalating tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad and their worst clashes in decades. Afghan carriers, however, operate regular passenger flights between Kabul and Delhi.
Historically, India and Afghanistan have enjoyed friendly relations, but New Delhi does not recognize the Taliban government, which came to power in Kabul after the US-led NATO withdrawal in 2021.
In recent months, the two countries have moved quickly to strengthen ties, a shift experts attribute to deteriorating relations with Pakistan—traditionally a buffer between the two nations—and India’s concerns about rival China expanding influence in Afghanistan.
Last month, Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visited New Delhi, marking the first such trip by a Taliban leader since 2021. Since then, the countries have upgraded relations, including India reopening its embassy in Kabul, which had been closed since 2021.
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