India has upgraded its technical mission in Kabul to a full-fledged embassy, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announced on Friday, following a meeting with Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
“I am pleased to announce the upgrading of India’s technical mission in Kabul to the status of the Embassy of India,” Jaishankar said, as quoted by India Today. “India remains fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Afghanistan,” he added.
The move marks a significant step in India’s gradual re-engagement with Afghanistan since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, when New Delhi had closed its embassy and consulates and evacuated its staff following the fall of the previous government.
While India has not formally recognised the Taliban regime, the decision reflects a cautious normalisation of diplomatic ties amid shifting regional dynamics.
Muttaqi’s visit is the first by a senior Taliban leader to India since the group seized control of Kabul in August 2021.
The talks come at a time when relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have sharply deteriorated, with Islamabad’s deportation of thousands of Afghan refugees further straining bilateral ties.
India’s move also signals a strategic recalibration in its Afghanistan policy as tensions between Kabul and Islamabad continue to escalate.
