Taliban Foreign Minister begins first visit to India

New Delhi, Oct10: Taliban Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi arrived in New Delhi on Thursday, marking the first visit by a senior Taliban leader to India since the group took power in Afghanistan in August 2021.

Muttaqi, who was granted a temporary exemption from UN sanctions to travel, will hold discussions with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval during his stay, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed. The talks are expected to focus on bilateral relations, regional security, trade, and economic cooperation.

“Warm welcome to Afghan Foreign Minister, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, on his arrival in New Delhi,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a social media post, sharing a photograph of the Taliban leader being received at the airport by Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary in charge of the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division, reports The Hindustan Times. “We look forward to engaging discussions with him on bilateral relations and regional issues,” Jaiswal added.

Muttaqi’s six-day visit is being viewed as a significant step in India’s evolving engagement with Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers. He is accompanied by senior officials from Afghanistan’s foreign and trade ministries.

According to official sources, Muttaqi will meet Jaishankar at Hyderabad House on Friday, followed by a call on NSA Doval. He is also expected to attend an interaction hosted by the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) and meet representatives of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), national media reported.

During the trip, the Taliban foreign minister is scheduled to visit Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh on October 11 and the Taj Mahal in Agra on October 12. He will also engage with members of the Afghan community in Delhi on October 13 before returning to Kabul on October 15, The Hindustan Times reported.

This visit marks the highest-level Taliban engagement with India since 2021 and signals what observers describe as a “cautious reset” in bilateral relations. While India has not formally recognised the Taliban government, it maintains a small diplomatic mission in Kabul and continues to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

Muttaqi’s arrival follows a series of quiet diplomatic contacts between the two sides over the past three years, including a meeting with India’s then Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in Dubai earlier this year. Officials familiar with the discussions said the visit underscores India’s pragmatic approach — balancing its security concerns and regional interests with the need to engage Afghanistan’s current rulers.