NEW DELHI: India restored its embassy in Kabul Tuesday, following the announcement during Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s recent visit to India that it would upgrade its technical mission to the level of embassy. As per the understanding reached between the 2 sides, India will designate the head of the mission in Kabul as chargé d'affaires, eventually appointing an ambassador, and the
Taliban are expected to send 2 diplomats to New Delhi by November this year.
The diplomats will work out of the Afghan embassy here, even in the absence of a formal recognition by India of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), the name used by Taliban for Afghanistan. The elevation of diplomatic ties clears the path for expansion of economic cooperation between the 2 countries, allowing India to contribute more meaningfully to the development of Afghanistan, even as its position on recognition remains largely aligned with that of the international community.
Muttaqi’s unprecedented visit to India and the decision to ramp up diplomatic ties came in the middle of mounting tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan that saw deadly border skirmishes while Muttaqi was still in India.
“In keeping with the decision announced during the recent visit of the Afghan Foreign Minister to India, the Government is restoring the status of the Technical Mission of India in Kabul to that of Embassy of India in Afghanistan with immediate effect,” said the Indian government in a statement, adding the decision underscored India’s resolve to deepen its bilateral engagement with the Afghan side in all spheres of mutual interest.
The government also said that the embassy will further augment India’s contribution to Afghanistan’s comprehensive development, humanitarian assistance, and capacity-building initiatives, in line with the priorities and aspirations of Afghan society.
India had shut its embassy after the return of the Taliban to Kabul in August, 2021. However, following security assurances from Kabul, India started to run a technical mission from the premises in June 2022, mainly to oversee distribution of Indian humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.
The Taliban see Muttaqi’s visit as marking a new phase in the relationship. Significantly, both sides committed to respecting each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and, in a message to Pakistan, also unequivocally condemned all acts of terrorism emanating from “regional countries”. Taliban’s backing of India’s sovereignty over J&K had also angered Pakistan, leading to lodging of a formal protest by Islamabad with Kabul.
Earlier this week, the Taliban also dismissed Pakistani claims about India’s role in fomenting tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan as baseless and illogical.
"These accusations are groundless. Our policy will never involve using our territory against other countries. We maintain relations with India as an independent nation and will strengthen those ties within the framework of our national interests,” said Afghanistan’s defence minister Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob. The 2 countries agreed to a ceasefire this week after talks in Doha.
“At the same time, we will preserve our relations with Pakistan based on good neighborliness. Our aim is to expand relations, not create tensions. Pakistan’s accusations are unfounded, illogical, and unacceptable,” added the minister.
Aligning with the global community on the issue of recognition for the Taliban government, India has also continued to raise issues related to the need for a more inclusive government in Afghanistan and respect for rights of women and children. Russia remains the only country to have formally recognised the government in Kabul, while others like China and Pakistan have accepted Taliban ambassadors and diplomats.
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