According to Russia Today (RT), on October 10 local time, India's Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar met with Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi, the capital of India, and announced that India and Afghanistan have agreed to restore diplomatic relations.
Muttaqi stated that India is committed to Afghanistan's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence, "closer cooperation between us helps Afghanistan's national development as well as regional stability and resilience".
He added: "To strengthen cooperation, I am pleased to announce today that the Indian technical mission in Kabul will be upgraded to an Indian embassy."
On October 10 local time, Jaishankar met with Muttaqi. Jaishankar's social media account
After the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban took power, and the Indian embassy in Kabul was subsequently closed, with the building later serving as the location of the Indian technical mission, providing humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.
Muttaqi welcomed the measures taken by the two countries to restore diplomatic relations, saying it would "open a new chapter" for bilateral relations. He said India was the first country to provide food and medicine aid to Afghanistan following recent earthquakes, and "Afghanistan views India as a close friend."
Previously, India had close relations with the government of former Afghan President Ghani, but in recent years has gradually engaged with the Taliban. In January this year, Muttaqi held talks with Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra in Dubai, which was the first high-level official contact between India and the Taliban after the Taliban regained power.
Jaishankar said on October 10 that both countries are committed to development and prosperity, but both face the threat of cross-border terrorism. He emphasized the need for coordinated efforts to combat all forms and manifestations of terrorism and praised Afghanistan's "sensitive attitude" towards India's security concerns, especially during the terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir in April this year.
Several hours before the meeting in New Delhi, explosions were heard in Kabul. Local media linked the explosion to the increasingly tense relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan. In recent years, relations between the two countries have continued to deteriorate due to alleged Pakistani militants appearing on the Afghan side of the border.
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