India is upgrading the “Technical Mission of India in Kabul” to an “Embassy” in Afghanistan with immediate effect, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Tuesday.
This comes days after Afghanistan’s Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visited India on a week-long tour.
“In accordance with the decision announced during the recent visit of the Afghan Foreign Minister to India, the Government is restoring the status of the Technical Mission of India in Kabul to that of the Embassy of India in Afghanistan with immediate effect,” the MEA said.
According to the ministry, the move is part of growing diplomatic relations between India and Afghanistan.
“This decision underscores India’s determination to deepen its bilateral relations with the Afghan side in all spheres of mutual interest,” it said.
“The Indian Embassy in Kabul will further enhance India’s contribution to Afghanistan’s comprehensive development, humanitarian assistance and capacity building initiatives in line with the priorities and aspirations of the Afghan society,” the MEA said in a statement.
The announcement first came from External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who on October 10 announced the elevation of his technical mission in Kabul to an embassy and praised the Taliban arrangement for showing sensitivity to New Delhi’s security concerns.
“India is fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan. To reinforce this, I am pleased today to announce the elevation of the Indian Technical Mission in Kabul to the status of the Embassy of India,” Jaishankar said during a press conference in Delhi.
Why did India close its embassy in Afghanistan?
India closed its embassy in Afghanistan in 2021 after the Taliban took power in the country following the withdrawal of US-led NATO forces.
Since then, India has maintained a limited mission to oversee trade, humanitarian and medical efforts in the country.
After India closed its embassy in 2022, it opened a technical mission in Kabul. The goal of the mission was to focus primarily on humanitarian aid, including food aid, medical supplies, and education and infrastructure support.
The reopening of India’s embassy in Afghanistan marks New Delhi’s first full diplomatic presence in Kabul in four years.
This comes as India and Afghanistan seek to expand cooperation in trade, healthcare and cultural exchange.
“We currently have a technical mission in Kabul. The transition from this technical mission to the embassy will take place in the next few days,” an MEA spokesman confirmed at a briefing last week.
