INDIAN MANDALA Delhi deepens relations with Taliban and leaves Islamabad aside

In recent days, India’s Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs met in Dubai with the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate. The remarks highlighted the importance of humanitarian aid to the Afghan people, but Delhi is also keen to create trade links through the Iranian port of Chabahar to avoid the ports of Karachi and Gwadar in rival Pakistan.

New Delhi () – The Taliban regime in Afghanistan has defined India as “an important regional and economic partner” after the meeting that took place on January 8 in Dubai between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of India, Vikram Misri, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate, Amir Khan Muttaqi. This is the highest-level diplomatic exchange between India and Afghanistan that has taken place so far.

Taliban spokesmen explained that the parties had discussed expanding relations and increasing trade through the port of Chabahar in Iran, which is crucial for India because it allows it to avoid the ports of Karachi and Gwadar in rival Pakistan. .

In their statementsDelhi highlighted “India’s readiness to respond to the urgent development needs of the Afghan people” through an assessment of “ongoing Indian humanitarian assistance programs.” So far India – confirmed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – has sent food, generic medicines and vaccines, pesticides and a series of emergency aid to Afghanistan. The Chabahar port will serve to “support trade and trade activities, including for the purpose of providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan,” India’s statement goes on to say. Other topics were also discussed, such as cooperation in cricket, security concerns and the repatriation of Afghan refugees, who – Delhi says – will be provided “material assistance”. Some experts believe that India could accede to the Taliban’s request to issue a large number of visas for Afghan students.

In line with the international community, India has never recognized the Taliban government, but in June 2022, about a year after its return to power, it reopened its embassy and sent a team of “technical experts”, who, according to statements from Delhi, had to manage the distribution of aid to the Afghan people. In November 2023, representatives of the previous Afghan government who controlled the embassy in New Delhi did not have their visas renewed, while the appointment of a Taliban consul in Mumbai was approved. Secretary JP Singh, who looks after relations with Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, had met Muttaqi in March last year, and on that occasion the discussions had also revolved around chabahar portin which the Taliban had announced shortly before that they were determined to invest 35 million dollars. .

Despite the strong focus on developing bilateral trade through the port, some analysts have noted that India also needs to keep the diplomatic channel with Afghanistan open for other reasons. to the Taliban as an effort to counter Pakistan in Afghanistan. But it is also something simpler, a pragmatic step that allows India to better pursue a fundamental interest: ensuring that Afghan soil is not used to harbor terrorists who threaten India,” commented Michael Kugelman, South Asia director of the American think-tank Wilson Center

However, the Indian action comes at a time of high tension in relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan due to increased attacks by the Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan, the Pakistani Taliban or TTP, which Islamabad says receives support from Kabul. Following a TTP attack on Pakistani security forces on December 20, Pakistan launched a military operation in Paktika province in eastern Afghanistan. An action that was quickly condemned by the Indian authorities.

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