India gets closer to the Taliban regime: Afghan foreign minister welcomed in New Delhi

From our correspondent

NEW DELHI - In what could be interpreted as the second step towards diplomatic recognition of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan in a matter of days, the Indian government today (9 October) welcomed Amir Khan Muttaqi, the foreign minister of the Islamist group that controls Kabul, to New Delhi. Muttaqi, whose name appears on a UN Security Council terrorist list, will stay in India for six days during which, besides visiting the Taj Mahal like any self-respecting foreign dignitary, he will meet Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and other government officials, as well as a group of businessmen.

Relations between India and Afghanistan are historically good, but after the Taliban seized power again in 2021 New Delhi closed its embassy. The following year, however, India reopened a small mission in the Islamic country to facilitate trade and the distribution of humanitarian aid.

Muttaqi's long trip to India comes just a few days after his mission to Moscow to take part in the seventh meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan, a regional platform to foster confrontation between representatives of, among others, Russia, Afghanistan, India, China and Pakistan, so as to 'promote peace, stability and national reconciliation' in the troubled country. At the Moscow summit, India unexpectedly voted alongside the Taliban, as well as China, Russia and Pakistan, on a motion that described as 'unacceptable' the attempt 'by foreign countries to place military infrastructure in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries'.

A generic formula only in appearance, given that the stance taken by the countries gathered in Moscow came a few days after the news that the Trump administration is interested in taking control of the Bagram military base - the largest in the country and one of the few in Afghanistan capable of landing and taking off large military aircraft - which is located some fifty kilometres from Kabul. Relations between New Delhi and Washington are at their lowest point for decades after the American decision to hit Indian products with 50% tariffs.