Now Reading: India reaffirms ties with Afghanistan as Taliban marks 5 years in power
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India reaffirms ties with Afghanistan as Taliban marks 5 years in power
India reaffirms ties with Afghanistan as Taliban marks 5 years in power
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…
The Story in Brief
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.
The Indian Opinion
The 'longstanding ties' line is a careful straddle. India wants influence in Kabul without officially recognising the Taliban. That leaves it open to charges of hypocrisy from human rights groups, while Pakistan watches for any shift. The real test is what happens at the August 17 event. If an Indian official attends, the policy has moved. If not, it is still a holding pattern.
Sources (3): thehindu.com, economictimes.indiatimes.com, timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
