New Delhi: India on Tuesday announced that its technical mission in Kabul will now function as a full-fledged embassy, marking a significant step in its evolving engagement with Afghanistan. The move comes just over a week after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi and indicated that India would enhance its diplomatic presence in the Afghan capital.
India had closed its Kabul embassy in August 2021 following the Taliban’s takeover. It partially restored its presence in June 2022 by deploying a “technical team” to oversee humanitarian and development assistance.
“In keeping 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 Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. The ministry added that the embassy will strengthen India’s role in “Afghanistan’s comprehensive development, humanitarian assistance, and capacity-building initiatives,” reflecting a broader intent to expand engagement across “all spheres of mutual interest.”
The upgraded mission will be led by a diplomat holding the rank of Charge d’affaires, according to sources.
Muttaqi’s six-day visit to India earlier this month was seen as a step toward rebuilding bilateral ties, although New Delhi has yet to formally recognise the Taliban-led administration. During his visit, Muttaqi said Afghanistan would send diplomats to India as part of “step-by-step” efforts to improve relations.
“We will not allow any element to threaten anyone else or use the territory of Afghanistan against others. Daesh is a challenge for the region, and Afghanistan is at the frontlines of this struggle,” he told reporters in New Delhi.