Indian top diplomat holds 1st direct conversation with Afghan counterpart

ANKARA

Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday held the first direct conversation with his Afghan counterpart since the return of the Taliban to Kabul in August 2021.

S. Jaishankar said he had a “good” phone conversation with acting Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi.

The two sides discussed “ways and means of taking cooperation forward,” he said on X.

New Delhi had closed its embassy in Kabul after the fall of the Western-backed regime in Afghanistan, whose fall led to the return of the Taliban, who are now ruling the war-torn nation as an interim administration.

However, it resumed operations with a “technical team” in 2022, and in the recent past, India has begun to engage directly with the interim administration.

Earlier this year, India held its first high-level meeting between the interim administration when Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Muttaqi in Dubai.

The bilateral trade climbed to $890 million last year.

According to a statement by the Afghan Foreign Ministry, Jaishankar and Muttaqi discussed strengthening bilateral ties, boosting trade, diplomatic engagement, and cooperation through Chabahar Port in southern Iran.

It added visa facilitation, and Afghan prisoners’ release were also discussed.

According to Jaishankar, he discussed with the Afghan counterpart the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which left 26 people dead.

“Deeply appreciate his (Afghan top diplomat) condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack,” Jaishankar said.

Jaishankar added: “Welcomed his firm rejection of recent attempts to create distrust between India and Afghanistan through false and baseless reports,” said the Indian foreign minister, referring to reports that “Indian missiles hit Afghanistan” amid military escalation with Pakistan.

Tensions rocketed between India and Pakistan, including an exchange of missiles and drones, last week after the Kashmir attack, which have since died down after the US mediated a ceasefire between the two South Asian neighbors.

Kabul had expressed concern over the tensions between Pakistan and India, saying further escalation is not in the interest of the region.