In a significant development, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday announced the upgrading of India’s technical mission in Kabul to a full-fledged embassy, while Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi reiterated his government’s commitment to not allowing any group or individual to use Afghan territory against India.
In a clear message to Pakistan, the two countries unequivocally condemned all acts of terrorism emanating from regional countries. They underscored the importance of promoting peace, stability, and mutual trust in the region.
Mr Jaishankar held wide-ranging talks with the Afghan minister, who is on a week-long visit to India after obtaining a temporary exemption from international travel restrictions from the United Nations Security Council. This is the first visit to this country by a top Taliban leader since it returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
“India is fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Afghanistan. To enhance that, I am pleased to announce today the upgrading of India’s Technical Mission in Kabul to the status of Embassy of India,” the Indian minister said in his opening remarks at the meeting with Mr Muttaqi.
He also announced a series of development and humanitarian initiatives, including a commitment to six new development projects in Afghanistan, details of which, he said, will be announced after the talks.
The Indian minister appreciated the solidarity expressed by Afghanistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and Afghanistan’s sensitivity towards India’s security concerns.
“Your visit marks an important step in advancing our ties and affirming the enduring friendship between India and Afghanistan,” he told the Afghan minister.
Noting that they had spoken once after the Pahalgam terrorist attack and the second time, after the Kunar and Nangarhar earthquake, Mr Jaishankar said that their meeting in person holds a special value in allowing the exchange of perspectives, identifying common interests, and forging closer cooperation.
“India has long extended support for the health security of Afghanistan, including during the COVID pandemic. We are now ready to commit to six new projects, whose details can be announced after the conclusion of our talks. A gift of 20 ambulances is another gesture of goodwill, and I would like to hand over five of them to you personally as a symbolic step. India will also provide MRI and CT scan machines to Afghan hospitals and deliver vaccines for immunisation and cancer medicines. We have also supplied drug rehabilitation materials through UNODC and are open to doing more,” he said.
Speaking about cross-border terrorism as a shared threat to the growth and prosperity of India and Afghanistan, he underlined, “We must coordinate efforts to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”
Without naming Pakistan, Mr Jaishankar expressed India’s deep concern about the dignity of Afghan nationals, who were forcibly repatriated: “The plight of forcibly repatriated Afghan refugees is a matter of deep concern. Their dignity and livelihood are important. India agrees to help construct residences for them and continue providing material aid to rebuild their lives,” he said.
A joint statement issued at the end of the talks between the two leaders said Mr Jaishankar expressed his deep appreciation to Afghanistan for its strong condemnation of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, as well as for the sincere condolences and solidarity expressed with the people and Government of India. Both sides unequivocally condemned all acts of terrorism emanating from regional countries. They underscored the importance of promoting peace, stability, and mutual trust in the region.
The statement said that as part of India’s ongoing healthcare cooperation with Afghanistan, several projects are being undertaken, including the establishment of a Thalassemia Centre, a Modern Diagnostic Centre, and the replacement of the heating system at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (IGICH) in Kabul. Additionally, India will construct a 30-bed hospital in Kabul’s Bagrami district, an Oncology Centre and a Trauma Centre in Kabul, and five Maternity Health Clinics in the provinces of Paktika, Khost, and Paktia. About 75 prosthetic limbs have been successfully fitted to Afghan nationals, which was widely appreciated by both the Afghan government and the international community. India will also continue to extend medical assistance and provide high-quality healthcare treatment to Afghan nationals.
As a special gesture, India will gift 20 ambulances to the Afghan people. A symbolic handover of the ambulances was done by Mr Jaishankar following his meeting with the visiting minister.