Indian and Afghan officials meet again despite lack of formal diplomatic ties

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This article was published 08/01/2025 (442 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NEW DELHI (AP) — A top Indian foreign ministry official met with Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister on Wednesday as the countries without formal diplomatic ties met for the second time in two months on practical matters like business and humanitarian aid.

India’s foreign ministry said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with acting Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi during a visit to the United Arab Emirates.

India’s statement said Misri conveyed India’s readiness to respond to Afghanistan’s urgent humanitarian and development needs. It said they also discussed how the Afghan business community could use the Chabahar port in Iran for the import and export of goods involving India.

In November, an Indian delegation led by J P Singh, a joint foreign ministry secretary in charge of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, visited Kabul and met with acting Defense Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid and other ministers. He also met former President Hamid Karzai and the heads of UN agencies.

Since the fall of Afghanistan in 2021 as U.S. and other troops withdrew, no country has recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. India says it will be guided by the United Nations on the issue.

Wednesday’s meeting came amid rising tensions between Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan, which last week launched an operation to destroy a training facility and kill insurgents in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province. The strikes killed dozens of people, primarily women and children.

Islamabad often claims that the Pakistani Taliban use Afghan soil to launch attacks in Pakistan, a charge Kabul has denied. Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry said Saturday its forces hit several areas inside Pakistan in retaliation.

India and Pakistan have long been rivals and have fought three wars over control of Kashmir since they won independence from Britain in 1947.

On Wednesday, the Afghan side underlined its sensitivities to India’s security concerns and said they “agreed to remain in touch and continue regular contact at various levels,” the Indian statement said.

The two sides also evaluated India’s ongoing humanitarian assistance programs. India said it offered additional support to the Afghan health sector and for the rehabilitation of refugees. The countries also discussed the strengthening of sports ties, particularly in cricket, the statement said.

Since 2022, India has had a technical team in Kabul to monitor and coordinate efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance.