Muttaqi meets with visiting Indian delegation, focuses on Afghan-India relations

An Indian delegation led by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Joint Secretary J.P. Singh met Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) officials in Kabul on Thursday where they discussed various issues including diplomatic relations.

“Today, IEA Acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi received Indian MEA Joint Secretary J.P. Singh and accompanying delegation. The meeting focused on India-Afghan diplomatic relations, bilateral trade and humanitarian aid,” said Abdul Qahar Balkhi, IEA foreign ministry spokesperson.

“India would consider assisting and working with Afghanistan in various fields, and whilst India has recently opened up its borders and ports for Afghanistan exports leading to increased Afghan exports compared to past years, they would provide further facilitates in this area to help Afghanistan further increase its exports and strengthen its economy. To [this] end, they agreed to expand interactions between the two countries,” Balkhi added.

According to a spokesman from the MEA, Arindam Bagchi, the Indian delegation will also meet with senior IEA leaders and with representatives of foreign organizations.

The delegation also visited the Indira Gandhi Children Hospital, and power stations.

According to India’s MEA, New Delhi has already “dispatched several shipments of humanitarian assistance consisting of 20,000 MTs of wheat, 13 tonnes of medicines, 500,000 doses of Covid vaccine and winter clothing”.

“We have also assisted UNICEF by supplying almost 60 million doses of polio vaccine and two tonnes of essential medicines. India’s development and humanitarian assistance has received a widespread appreciation across the entire spectrum of Afghan society,” an MEA statement added.