Afghanistan’s Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi arrived in India on Thursday for a six-day visit aimed at deepening political and economic engagement marking the first visit by a senior Taliban official since the group’s takeover of Kabul in August 2021.
Muttaqi is scheduled to meet Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and other top officials to discuss bilateral relations, trade cooperation, and regional stability. The visit follows recent talks in Moscow, where Afghan representatives met diplomats from neighboring states to counter the U.S. plan to take control of Bagram Air Base.
India’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal welcomed the minister’s arrival, saying New Delhi “looks forward to engaging discussions on bilateral relations and regional issues.” Muttaqi is also expected to meet Indian business leaders, and visit symbolic sites such as the Taj Mahal and a historic Islamic seminary.
Why It Matters
Muttaqi’s visit signals a new phase of cautious pragmatism in Afghanistan–India relations. Despite India’s formal non-recognition of the Taliban regime, New Delhi has increasingly moved toward functional engagement reopening a small diplomatic mission in Kabul in 2022 to facilitate trade, medical, and humanitarian exchanges.
For the Taliban, this outreach represents an effort to diversify its foreign partnerships beyond traditional allies such as Pakistan and China, and to break diplomatic isolation. By courting India a major regional power with long-standing influence in Afghan reconstruction the Taliban hopes to attract investment and legitimacy.
The visit also reflects regional recalibration following U.S. withdrawal and shifting alliances. India, wary of Pakistan’s influence in Kabul, views selective engagement with the Taliban as essential to protect its security and strategic interests, particularly in counterterrorism and connectivity projects.
Taliban Government (Afghanistan): Seeking to strengthen economic ties and gain regional legitimacy amid ongoing diplomatic isolation and sanctions.
Government of India: Aiming to balance pragmatic engagement with the Taliban against its non-recognition policy, while safeguarding regional interests and economic stakes in Afghanistan.
Russia: Playing a supportive role in facilitating regional dialogue and opposing U.S. re-engagement in Afghanistan.
United States: Seen as an external actor whose renewed strategic interest in Bagram Air Base has prompted regional coordination.
Regional Powers (Iran, China, Pakistan, Central Asian States): Monitoring the visit as part of broader shifts in South and Central Asian diplomacy.
Indian Businesses and Humanitarian Agencies: Potential beneficiaries of expanded trade and aid access if relations improve.
What’s Next
Talks in New Delhi are expected to cover trade facilitation, humanitarian aid, infrastructure projects, and potential counterterrorism cooperation. India may explore limited economic engagement without conferring formal recognition, maintaining a balance between realism and restraint.
Future diplomatic progress will depend on the Taliban’s domestic behavior, especially regarding women’s rights, governance, and counterterrorism commitments key preconditions for broader international recognition.
Analysts suggest the visit could lay groundwork for incremental normalization, positioning India as a constructive regional actor while testing the Taliban’s willingness to adopt more moderate diplomatic conduct.
With information from Reuters.
