Jaishankar Holds First High-Level Talk with Taliban’s Afghan Foreign Minister Since 2021
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke with Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Thursday, marking the first political-level engagement between the two nations since the Taliban took control of Kabul in August 2021.
The conversation came in the wake of the Taliban administration’s strong condemnation of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives. Although India does not officially recognize the Taliban government, Jaishankar expressed appreciation for its stance.
Taking to social media platform X, Jaishankar wrote, “Welcomed his firm rejection of recent attempts to create distrust between India and Afghanistan through false and baseless reports.” He also reaffirmed India’s historic ties with the Afghan people and reiterated New Delhi’s support for Afghanistan’s development goals.
The two ministers explored possible areas for future cooperation, signaling a gradual warming of ties amid recent diplomatic interactions. Earlier this year, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Muttaqi in Dubai, and senior Indian diplomat Anand Prakash visited Kabul on April 27—shortly after the Pahalgam attack and amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions.
These developments suggest a cautious but increasing engagement between India and the Taliban administration.
