Indian delegation holds first meeting with Afghan officials after Taliban takeover

NEW DELHI - In the first such contact since the Taliban took control of the country last year, Indian Foreign Ministry officials held talks with the Afghan government in Kabul on Thursday.

India and Afghanistan have had no diplomatic relations since US-led forces withdrew from the landlocked country, the Taliban took power and closed its embassy in Kabul in August last year.

The Indian Foreign Ministry said in a statement before the visit that the delegation would meet with senior members of the Taliban to discuss "the humanitarian assistance provided by India to the people of Afghanistan."

The ministry said that its team will supervise the delivery of Indian humanitarian aid and meet with representatives of international organizations involved in the distribution, as it has sent 20,000 metric tons of wheat and 13 tons of medicines to Afghanistan.

Frequent economic shocks, political crises, and droughts such as environmental disasters have left more than 24 million Afghans in need of life-saving assistance to escape famine.

On Thursday afternoon, Joint Secretary of the Ministry JP Singh, who is leading the Indian team, met with Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mottaki and Taliban Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi.

Following the meeting, Balkhi tweeted that he discussed diplomatic relations and bilateral trade, and that the visit was a "good start between the two countries."  He also thanked New Delhi for its humanitarian assistance.

The Indian delegation is expected to visit the places where various Indian investment programs have been implemented over the past two decades.

New Delhi has spent billions of dollars on infrastructure and humanitarian aid in Afghanistan since the 2001 US-led invasion toppled the previous Taliban government.

With more than $3 billion invested in building highways, transporting food, and building schools and hospitals in Afghanistan, India has become the second largest donor to the war-torn country after the United States.

New Delhi's former ambassador to Afghanistan, Amar Sinha, said the first official visit since August last year indicates efforts to restore relations with the country.

"It is clear that India does not want to be seen as the only country dealing with Afghanistan. There must be a clear understanding of the new reality in Kabul. India as a neighbour," he said.  Afghans".

While the Indian diplomats have not made an official visit to Afghanistan since last year, they did meet with Taliban representatives in Doha, Qatar.

He is in a good position," said Sanjay Kapoor, analyst and editor-in-chief of the political magazine Hard News.

“By negotiating with the Taliban, India is also acknowledging that it will build a counter force against Pakistan.”