GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 30th Jan. India, along with several other countries, attended a conclave organized by the Taliban in Kabul. The purpose of the meeting was to promote regional cooperation.
India has not officially recognized the Taliban government and has been advocating for the formation of an inclusive government in Kabul.
Russia was represented by its special representative for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov.
The meeting, called the Regional Cooperation Initiative, was addressed by the acting foreign minister of the Taliban regime, Amir Khan Muttaqi. In a statement from the Taliban foreign ministry, Muttaqi emphasized the importance of regional dialogues and positive interaction with Afghanistan.
India’s participation in the meeting came shortly after the Indian embassy in the United Arab Emirates invited the charge d’affaires of the Afghan mission to their Republic Day celebrations. This invitation was part of standard diplomatic procedure and extended to all accredited missions in the UAE.
During the conclave, Muttaqi encouraged participants to take advantage of opportunities in Afghanistan for regional development and coordinate efforts to manage potential threats.
He emphasized the need for regional cooperation to focus on common benefits and called for the removal of unilateral sanctions on Afghanistan. Kabul expressed its willingness to engage and cooperate with regional countries based on mutual interest and respect.
In June 2022, India re-established its diplomatic presence in Kabul by deploying a technical team to its embassy. This decision was made after concerns over the security situation following the Taliban’s takeover.
