A high-level meeting between Afghan Taliban leaders and senior Indian officials was held in Dubai on Wednesday. India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi attended the meeting.
This gathering is important as both nations seek to improve their relations and increase cooperation. While India has continued providing limited assistance to Afghanistan, much of their bilateral relationship has remained stagnant since the Taliban took control in 2021.
The discussions aimed to strengthen ties in various sectors, including humanitarian aid, development assistance, trade, commerce, sports, cultural exchange, regional security, and key projects like the Chabahar Port in Iran, which serves as a crucial supply route for goods to Afghanistan. Although India and Afghanistan share a land border, it has been severed by Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) since 1947.
India pledged further humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, focusing on healthcare, medicine supplies, and refugee rehabilitation. India has already sent several shipments over the years, including 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat, 300 tonnes of medicines, 27 tonnes of earthquake relief, 40,000 litres of pesticides, 100 million polio doses, 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, 11,000 hygiene kits for drug rehabilitation, 500 winter clothing units, and 1.2 tonnes of stationery kits.
The Afghan minister expressed his appreciation and gratitude to India for its ongoing support and engagement with the Afghan people.
