India attends Taliban meet in Kabul

NEW DELHI: India was among the countries that participated in a meeting hosted by the Taliban regime in Kabul to boost regional cooperation and engagement with Afghanistan. The meeting took place in the run up to the conference that the UN will host next month on Afghanistan.

The head of the Indian "technical mission" in Kabul participated in the meeting that saw the presence of Chinese, Russian and Iranian envoys too. Russia and China in fact worked actively with the Taliban to organise the meeting. According to reports from Kabul, the Pakistan envoy did not attend. According to the Taliban, this was the first international conference they hosted since their return to Kabul in Aug 2021.

India reopened its embassy in Afghanistan in June 2022 and has worked with the Taliban dispensation since then, mostly to distribute humanitarian aid. However, like most other countries, India has been working in Afghanistan without recognising the regime in Kabul. Unlike China, which accepted the credentials of the Taliban envoy without formally recognising the Taliban dispensation, it has not allowed the Taliban to appoint an envoy here. Sources here said there is no rethink by India on the issue of full recognition for the Taliban. India first wants Kabul to have an inclusive government.


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