ANKARA 

India on Friday reaffirmed its commitment to Afghanistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence as top diplomats from both nations met in New Delhi.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar made the remarks while hosting Interim Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi for talks during the latter’s week-long visit to India.

“India is fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan. Closer cooperation between us contributes to your national development, as well as regional stability and resilience,” Jaishankar said.

He also announced “the upgrading of India’s technical mission in Kabul to the status of Embassy of India,” signaling that New Delhi may soon appoint a full-time ambassador to the Afghan capital.

Jaishankar thanked Muttaqi for his “invitation to Indian companies to explore mining opportunities in Afghanistan.”

After the bilateral talks, Muttaqi told a news conference that "diplomats of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will also arrive in Delhi."

The Taliban-led interim administration refers to itself as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and the Afghan embassy in New Delhi was closed following the Taliban's return to power in Kabul.

India would "further deepen its engagement in development cooperation projects, particularly in the sectors of healthcare, public infrastructure and capacity-building," said a joint statement following a meeting between Muttaqi and Jaishankar.

India will also donate 20 ambulances to the Afghan people, and other opportunities for Afghan students to study at Indian universities and participate in scholarship programs are being considered, it said.

Muttaqi’s trip marks the first visit by a senior Afghan official to India since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021.

India had shut down its embassy in Kabul following the fall of the Western-backed government but reopened it in 2022 with a “technical team.” The mission has recently engaged directly with the Taliban-led interim administration.

Over the years, India has financed and implemented multiple infrastructure and development projects across Afghanistan.

Jaishankar said both sides could now “discuss the maintenance and repairs of finished projects as well as steps to complete others to which we have already committed.”

Bilateral trade between the two countries reached $890 million last year.