New Delhi: In a landmark move signalling warmer ties, Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is set to visit India from October 9 to 16, marking the first high-level Taliban outreach since their 2021 takeover.
Cleared by the UN Security Council’s sanctions committee, this trip comes after a delayed September itinerary thwarted by US and Pakistani opposition, and it underscores New Delhi’s pragmatic diplomacy in a volatile neighbourhood.
Muttaqi’s agenda-packed schedule includes key meetings with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and possibly National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Topping discussions will be counter-terrorism – a shared red line against Pakistan-based threats like Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad accuses Kabul of harbouring. India, wary of cross-border extremism, seeks firm assurances to bolster regional security.
Trade takes centre stage too, with talks easing transport hurdles, expanding cross-border commerce, and inaugurating new corridors to revive pre-2021 economic links. Visa quotas for Afghan medical travellers, students, and businessmen could see hikes, along with India’s potential boost in scholarships for Afghan youth in professional and technical fields. Cooperation on infrastructure, water, electricity, and health missions – including reopening Kabul’s Indian embassy with full-time ambassadors and more consulates – is also on the cards.
This visit caps a year of quiet backchannel talks, from Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s Dubai huddles to Jaishankar’s May call with Muttaqi. Amid China’s CPEC push into Afghanistan and Pakistan’s TTP jitters, India eyes strategic leverage in Central Asia. As Muttaqi – in office since the US withdrawal – arrives, all eyes are on whether the appointment heralds a new chapter of collaboration or cautious coexistence.