# India reaffirms ties with Afghanistan as Taliban marks 5 years in power 2026-08-14T19:31:28+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets India reaffirmed its 'longstanding ties' with Afghanistan days before the fifth anniversary of the Taliban's takeover of Kabul on August 15. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said several ministerial visits from Afghanistan in the past year had strengthened partnerships in development, trade and connectivity. The Afghan embassy in New Delhi is scheduled to host an event on August 17 to mark the anniversary. Jaiswal did not confirm whether an Indian official would attend. India has not formally recognised the Taliban government. It withdrew its embassy staff in 2021 and re-established a diplomatic presence with a technical team in June 2022. In October 2024, New Delhi upgraded that mission to an embassy after talks between Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. India has pressed the Taliban not to allow Afghan soil to be used for terrorism. ## Coverage - thehindu.com - economictimes.indiatimes.com - timesnownews.com Tags: Afghanistan, Kabul, Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, Taliban Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/india-reaffirms-ties-with-afghanistan-ahead-of-taliban-anniversary/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/india-reaffirms-ties-with-afghanistan-ahead-of-taliban-anniversary/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.