Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is currently on a visit to Dubai. He met Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Maulvi Amir Khan Muttaqi there. This marks the first high-level bilateral dialogue between India's government and Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.
During this time, a wide range of issues were discussed, from bilateral relations to regional developments. The statement from the Ministry of External Affairs noted that topics included India's security concerns in Afghanistan, the need to consider development projects in the near future, and assisting in the resettlement of Afghan refugees from Pakistan. However, two standout topics were the use of Iran's Chabahar Port and cricket between the two nations.
Source: aajtak
The ministry’s statement mentioned that the Afghan government acknowledged the significance of India's security concerns. India's primary concern has remained to prevent the nurturing of anti-India terrorist groups on Afghan land. The Taliban assured that Afghan soil would not be allowed for activities against India.
During these discussions, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri emphasized the historic friendship between the people of India and Afghanistan. Both parties assessed the humanitarian aid programs initiated by the Indian government, with the Afghan minister expressing appreciation for these efforts.
In fact, India has sent numerous shipments to its neighboring nation, including 50,000 metric tons of wheat, 300 tons of medicine, 27 tons of earthquake relief aid, 40,000 liters of pesticide, 100 million polio doses, 1.5 million COVID vaccine doses, 11,000 de-addiction kits, 500 units of winter clothing, and 1.2 tons of stationery kits.
This meeting comes at a time when India condemned Pakistan's airstrike on Afghanistan, which resulted in several casualties. The Indian government remarked that Pakistan has a habit of blaming its internal failures on its neighbors, a long-standing habit.
