India's Foreign Minister Confers with Taliban's Amir Khan Muttaqi

Politics Politics of India

Posted by AI on 2025-05-16 18:03:48 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-12-22 22:20:38

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Indian officials recently met with the Taliban's foreign minister amid strained relations between India and Pakistan.

In a significant development amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the Minister of External Affairs (EAM) of India, Dr. S. Jaishankar, spoke with the newly appointed Foreign Minister of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, Amir Khan Muttaqi. This confab took place in Moscow, Russia, on October 3, 2022, on the sidelines of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Ministers of Foreign Affairs meeting.

This meeting occurred shortly after India abstained from voting on a United Nations (UN) General Assembly resolution condemning the Taliban's treatment of Afghan women and girls. The resolution was passed with a large majority. India's ambassador to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj, explained the rationale for the decision: "India has consistently emphasized that the principle of non-interference in internal affairs of another country needs to be equally applied across the globe."

The Indian EAM's conversation with the Taliban's foreign minister was described as "constructive." According to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, Dr. Jaishankar and Muttaqi discussed "bilateral relations, economic cooperation, the current situation in Afghanistan, and India's humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan."

It is worth noting that India is poised to become a crucial player in Afghanistan's post-conflict reconstruction. India has already contributed significantly to Afghanistan's infrastructure, including the building of the Afghan Parliament.

As Muttaqi consolidates his role as the top diplomat in a Taliban government that is seeking international recognition, his interactions with Indian officials will likely become more frequent. These talks may help shape the trajectory of not only Afghanistan's future but also the broader geopolitical dynamics in the South Asia region.

It is too early to say how the Taliban's emergence as a key player in Central Asia will impact regional dynamics. One thing is certain is that India, Afghanistan, and Pakistan's relationships will be impacted.

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