- By Shivangi Sharma
- Fri, 08 Nov 2024 12:08 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
A senior official from India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) held a meeting with Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, the acting defence minister of the Taliban-led administration, on Wednesday. This marks the first-ever direct engagement between India and the Taliban government, with discussions centred on exploring avenues to expand bilateral relations.
JP Singh, India's Joint Secretary for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, met with Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, the Taliban's military chief and son of founder Mullah Omar, in Kabul on November 5.
India and the Taliban officials discussed India's humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and the potential use of the Chabahar Port in Iran for facilitating trade and transactions, according to MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
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“They had discussions on India's humanitarian assistance, also how the Chabahar Port (in Iran) can be utilised by the business community in Afghanistan for transactions and for export and import and any other thing that they would like to do for,” Jaiswal said on Thursday.
India, Taliban Aim To Enhance Relations
The Taliban's Ministry of Defence stated that the meeting between India and Taliban officials focused on expanding bilateral relations, particularly in humanitarian cooperation, and expressed a mutual interest in strengthening further interactions between Afghanistan and India.
“In this meeting, the two sides emphasised their common desire to expand bilateral relations, especially in the field of humanitarian cooperation and other issues and expressed their interest in strengthening further interactions between Afghanistan and India,” the Ministry of Defence of the Administration run by the Taliban in Kabul stated.
The Administrator of National Defense Ministry met with a
— د ملي دفاع وزارت - وزارت دفاع ملی (@MoDAfghanistan2) November 6, 2024
Delegation from India.
The defense ministry’s administrator, Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob
“Mujahid” at his office today, met with an Indian delegation, headed by... pic.twitter.com/Ju8IKncQn4
Meanwhile, an anonymous Afghan official told TOI that the meeting indicates India's willingness to boost humanitarian aid and participate in Afghanistan's reconstruction efforts, even though it has not formally recognized the Taliban-led government in Kabul.