Jaishankar meets Muttaqi in Delhi: 10 key things India is offering Afghanistan’s Taliban government

India on Friday announced the upgrading of its technical mission in Kabul to the status of an embassy and pledged to renew its development works in Afghanistan. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also appreciated the Taliban's setup for showing sensitivity towards New Delhi's security concerns.

Jaishankar made the twin announcements during his wide-ranging talks with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who landed in New Delhi on Thursday on his first diplomatic visit to India.

India had withdrawn its officials from its embassy in Kabul after the Taliban seized power in August 2021. In June 2022, India re-established its diplomatic presence in the Afghan capital by deploying a “technical team”.

Since the Taliban came to power, New Delhi has also been insisting that Afghan soil must not be used for any terrorist activities against any country.

What did India announce for Afghanistan?

Jaishankar posted a series of posts on X about today's meetings, saying he was pleased to meet Muttaqi in New Delhi.

“This visit marks an important step in advancing our ties and affirming the enduring India-Afghanistan friendship. Discussed India’s support for Afghanistan’s development, our bilateral trade, territorial integrity & independence, people-to-people ties and capacity building. India will upgrade its Technical Mission in Kabul to the status of Embassy of India,” the Minister said.

In a press conference later, Muttaqi shared details about his meeting with Jaishankar on a wide range of issues, including those related to the economy, politics, diplomacy and security.

India's longstanding partnership

“Some of the achievements were the Indian government's upgrade of technical presence at the embassy... And the diplomatic delegation of the Islamic Emirate will arrive in Delhi. We also agreed to strengthen the air corridor to strengthen our trade. EAM pledged to broaden health activities in Afghanistan, and we appreciate the assistance provided for the victims of the earthquake,” the Taliban leader said.

Meanwhile, India's longstanding partnership, which has seen numerous Indian projects in Afghanistan, stands renewed, the External Affairs Minister announced.

Jaishankar said that India and Afghanistan share a common commitment to growth and prosperity and that India is fully committed to Afghanistan's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence.

Ready to commit to six new projects

Jaishankar stated that India is now ready to commit to six new projects, the details of which will be announced soon. “A gift of 20 ambulances is another gesture of goodwill, and I would like to hand over five of them to you personally as a symbolic step,” he said.

Jaishankar also appreciated Kabul's invitation to Indian companies to explore mining opportunities in Afghanistan and said the proposal can be discussed further.

“We have a shared interest in boosting trade and commerce. I am glad to note the commencement of additional flights between Kabul and New Delhi,” he said.

Why is Muttaqi in India?

Muttaqi landed in New Delhi on Thursday, in the first high-level trip from Kabul, days after the UN Security Council’s Taliban Sanctions Committee approved an exemption to the travel ban imposed on him.

The UNSC committee approved a temporary exemption to the travel ban on 30 September, allowing Muttaqi to visit New Delhi from 9 October to 16, according to a statement by the UN.

Muttaqi’s India visit highlights the Taliban administration’s efforts to seek international recognition and underscores India’s strategic move to counter its regional rivals, Pakistan and China, who are deeply involved in Afghanistan.

Here is what India is gifting Afghanistan:

1- India would further deepen its engagement in development cooperation projects, particularly in the sectors of healthcare, public infrastructure and capacity-building.

2 - As part of India’s ongoing healthcare cooperation with Afghanistan, several projects are being undertaken, including the establishment of a Thalassemia Centre, a Modern Diagnostic Centre, and the replacement of the heating system at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (IGICH) in Kabul.

3- Additionally, India will construct a 30-bed hospital in Kabul’s Bagrami district, an Oncology Centre and a Trauma Centre in Kabul, and five Maternity Health Clinics in the provinces of Paktika, Khost, and Paktia. Approximately 75 prosthetic limbs have been successfully fitted to Afghan nationals, which has been widely appreciated by both the Afghan government and the international community.

India will also continue to extend medical assistance and provide high-quality healthcare treatment to Afghan nationals.

4- As a special gesture, India will gift twenty ambulances to the Afghan people. A symbolic handover of the ambulances was done by the External Affairs Minister following his meeting with the Foreign Minister.

Capacity-building

5 - In the field of capacity-building, India continues to offer scholarships to Afghan students under the e-ICCR scholarship scheme. Other avenues for Afghan students to pursue studies at Indian universities under the ICCR and other scholarship programmes are under active consideration.

6- India expressed its willingness to assist the Afghan government in reconstructing residential buildings in the earthquake-affected areas.

7- The two sides reviewed the progress of Indian humanitarian assistance programmes to Afghanistan, which include the supply of food grains, social support items, school stationery, disaster relief materials and pesticides.

8- Both sides discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation in sports, especially cricket, to advance cultural interactions.

9- Both sides welcomed the commencement of the India-Afghanistan Air Freight Corridor, which will further enhance direct trade and commerce between the two countries. The new corridor is expected to streamline connectivity and boost bilateral trade.

10- Both sides agreed to cooperate on hydroelectric projects with a view to addressing Afghanistan’s energy needs and supporting its agricultural development.

(With agency inputs)