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India said on Thursday that its “technical mission” in Kabul will transition into an embassy in the “next few days”.
Last week, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had told the Taliban-led Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, that it will open the new embassy.
When asked about the upgrade of the Indian Mission in Kabul, the Ministry of External Affairs’ official spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said, “Our technical mission has been operational in Kabul since June 2022. Its transition to an Embassy will happen in the next few days.”
On the Pakistan-Afghanistan clashes, he said that India remains fully committed to the latter’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence.
“We are closely monitoring the situation. Three things are clear – one, that Pakistan hosts terrorist organisations and sponsors terrorist activities; two, it is an old practice of Pakistan to blame its neighbours for its own internal failures; and three, Pakistan is infuriated with Afghanistan exercising sovereignty over its own territories. India remains fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Afghanistan,” the MEA spokesperson said at a press conference.
On October 10, as a first step towards normalising diplomatic ties with the Taliban since the group seized power in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of the US-led forces in 2021, India said it would upgrade its “technical mission” in Kabul to the status of an embassy.
Jaishankar made the announcement during his first meeting with Muttaqi, who arrived in New Delhi on Thursday — the first visit by a Taliban foreign minister to the country. Muttaqi, for his part, said Kabul would send diplomats to India as part of step-by-step efforts to improve bilateral relations.
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India closed its embassy in Kabul after the Taliban seized power in August 2021. In June 2022, India re-established its diplomatic presence in the Afghan capital by deploying a “technical team”.
Welcoming the Taliban-led delegation last Friday, Jaishankar said the visit marks an “important step in advancing our ties and affirming the enduring friendship between India and Afghanistan.”
He said, “India is fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan. Closer cooperation between us contributes to your national development, as well as regional stability and resilience. 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.”
