Diplomatic shift: India's Foreign Secretary meets Taliban Minister in Dubai

New Delhi: A giant diplomatic victory for India, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Afghanistan's acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi. It is the first time a senior Indian official has acted and met Taliban leadership. New Delhi does not recognize the Taliban regime in Kabul but has dialogued with it for humanitarian cooperation and regional outreach.

Humanitarian assistance and security issues

The talks have been used to change the commitment of India to the health sector. The rehabilitation of Afghan refugees with assurances given by India that all help will be extended to Afghan people after the Taliban coup in 2021. Misri underlined humanitarian aid that continued: wheat, medicines, and the Covid vaccine. It also aimed to understand and assuage the Indian security worries about the persistence of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, terror groups said to be enjoying Pakistan's favor. India has, time and again, approached the Taliban, asking them not to allow their soil to be used against it.

Bilateral relations and regional cooperation

Both the sides agreed to work on betterment of regional cooperation and an opening for using Iran's port at Chabahar not only for commercial purposes but even for humanitarian means. This port is the most important outlet of India towards Afghanistan, and this port was also used to avoid Pakistan in aid delivery. Misri said India would continue its traditional relationship with Afghan people and support Afghanistan in terms of its development. There are discussions of other development schemes to be started after the interruption by the Taliban when previous development projects were sponsored by India and got disrupted.

Continued engagement

India continued to uphold a humanitarian outreach with Afghanistan and shipped in gigantic consignments of foodstuff, medicines, and relief materials. Misri assured that continuous support would be extended for the urgent developmental requirements of the Afghan people. The two sides decided to keep in touch and sustain regular dialogue at various levels so that continuous engagement would be maintained despite the intricacies in the politics and security-related issues involving the Taliban regime.