Afghanistan reigning Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi will arrive in India today after the UN Taliban Sanction Committee approved an exception to the ban on traveling the Taliban leader.
Muttaqi’s visit to India at the invitation of Foreign Minister Jaishankar would be the first ministerial visit from Kabul to Nový Delhi after Taliban confiscated power in Afghanistan in August 2021.
Also read | First Afghan Minister Taliban Muttaqi to visit Delhi in October
Muttaqi will be in India by 16 October. His visit coincides with the visit of India, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, accompanied by the largest British business delegation, for interviews with Prime Minister Narendra Modim. Two premieres will meet today in Mumbai.
While the Muttaqi meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not confirmed, he would be assigned as a visiting Foreign Minister, including the government hosting.
According to Reuters report, the discussion focuses on bilateral cooperation, business stock exchanges, dry fruit exports, facilities in the medical sector, consular services and various ports.
Hafiz Zia Ahmad Talal, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Afghan Taliban, said Muttaqi is scheduled to meet his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar, along with several officials, discussing political, economic, business and other matters related to the expansion between Kabul and Nový.
Upgrading diplomatic relationships at full embassy
Muttaqi comes from Moscow, where he participated in the dialogue “Moscow format” led by Russia in Afghanistan.
During his weekly stay in India, Muttaqi is also expected to meet several officials and communicate with trading groups and Afghan nationals based in India. According to some reports, during his visit, he can also meet the National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval.
The discussion is expected to focus on the modernization of diplomatic relations at full embassies and the expansion of consular services between Afghanistan and India during a visit to Muttaqi. The discussion would also include improvements to the Indian embassy in Kabul.
Why is Muttaqi visit in India significant?
The Muttaqi journey emphasizes the Taliban efforts to extend the involvement in regional powers in the search for economic bindings and possible diplomatic recognition. So far, Russia is the only country that formally recognized the Taliban administration.
India has not yet recognized the Taliban settings and stood up to create a truly inclusive government in Kabul.
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However, the growing involvement of the new Delhi with the Taliban comes at a time when the political dominance of the group in Afghanistan has become more obvious, and the growing number of countries set with them communication channels. A rise in the interests of terror and the emergence of other security threats in Afghanistan has made such engagement for India a strategic necessity for India
The visit is an important moment in Indian cautious reach to the new rulers of Kabul. The new Delhi also insists that Afghan soil must not be used for any terrorist activities against any country.
Ban on traveling exempt
Muttaqi was given by the UN Security Council of January 25, 2001 and was subject to traveling, freezing assets and weapons embargo. However, the Security Council Committee on 30 September 2025 “approved an exception to ban travel for Amir Khan Muttaqi to visit the new Delhi in India from 9 to 16 October 2025”, according to information on the website of sanctions.
The Committee includes all 15 UN Security Council members and decides with consensus. The 1988 Taliban Committee is currently chairing Pakistan. Two Vice -Presidents for 2025 are Guyana and Russia.
“Good conversation” with muttaqi
In May this year, Jaishankar said he had a “good interview” with Muttaqi over the phone and “deeply appreciated his conviction of the terrorist attack of Pahalgam”. Jaishankar thanked the Taliban leader for the conviction of the terrorist attack of Pahalgam of 22 April.
Jaishankar then “welcomed” his firm rejection of recent attempts to create distrust between India and Afghanistan through false and unfounded reports. They underlined our traditional friendship with Afghan people and our continued support of their development needs.
The planned visit to Muttaqi in India Muttaqi last month was canceled after he was unable to obtain an exception from the visa for the journey.
What do experts say?
Mohammad Reyaz, an expert on India-Afghanistan on Aliah University in Kalcato, said it was clear in 2010 that the Afghan Taliban was rediscent in the Afghan political landscape.
“India has several strategic interests in Afghanistan that cannot be ignored-especially when anti-taliban factions are scattered and lacking support for global powers,” Livemint said.
To keep its position in Afghanistan, India strengthens its cooperation with the Taliban government, even though it gradually distanced itself from its former Afghan allies, Reyaz said.
Also read | First since the takeover of the Taliban, Afghan FM visit India 9 October
“Indian involvement with the Afghan Taliban is also associated with regional security concerns – especially concerns about Pakistan news agencies using Taliban and other militant groups as representatives,” he said.
Indian invitation to Muttaqi is a pragmatic step, given the Indian interests in Afghanistan, experts said. But some also warned against giving the Taliban regime full of recognition until the UN did.
Historical and civilization ties
“India should wait for an international consensus,” said Vivek Katja, a former diplomat who in the past managed Afghan relationships in external matters, Hindu. Mea in the past.
“We have sent extensive humanitarian aid through our technical assistance mission in the last few years. It is obvious that the involvement in the Taliban has become essential and the visit to Muttaqi is a welcome step,” he said in the report.
The Indian relationship with Afghanistan has long been seen through the lens of deep historical and civilization ties between two nations. However, the new Delhi closed its embassy in Kabul after withdrawal from the US withdrawal from the 2021 war country and the return to the power of the Taliban.
Since then, the new Delhi has remained aware of the security challenges that are based on their northwest border, the experts stressed.
“For Taliban, involvement in India makes it possible to create a perception of legitimacy for their domestic voters. Since their return to power, they have tried to build their approach to foreign policy issues as pragmatism-focusing on a balanced and economic foreign policy,” said Vice President of Think-Tank ORF. Common with Shivam Shekhawat, a junior member of the ORF strategic studies program.
In June 2022, less than a year after taking over the Taliban in Kabul, India, she sent a “technical team” to the Afghan capital to coordinate humanitarian aid and explore how the new Deli could support Afghan people.
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In November 2024, officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized several meetings with Taliban representatives, including interviews with the reigning Minister of Defense Taliban Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob. In January 2025, Foreign Minister Vikram Misri met with Foreign Minister Taliban Muttaqi in Dubai.
Regional meetings in Moscow
Indian involvement in the Afghan Taliban is also associated with regional security concerns – especially concerns about Pakistan news agencies using Taliban and other militant groups such as proxy.
Muttaqi attended a regional meeting in Moscow on Tuesday before he went to Nový Delhi. At the meeting, Afghanistan neighbors, including India, Pakistan, Iran, China and several Central Asian countries, published a joint statement against the deployment of foreign military infrastructure in the region.
This statement was considered a signal of opposition to US President Donald Trump, who gave the goal to repeat control of the military base of a dash near Kabul.
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