Delhi upgrades status of tech mission in Kabul to embassy

Taliban invites Indian mining firms; both nations resolve to boost trade ties

- ARCHIS MOHAN

Four years after it withdrew its officials from Kabul following the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, New Delhi on Friday announced it would upgrade its technical mission in the Afghan capital to the status of an embassy and renew its development work in Afghanistan.

‘The two sides also agreed to boost trade and commercial ties, especially in the mining sector, and restore the air freight corridor. During delegation-level talks in New Delhi, Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi invited Indian companies to invest in his country’s mining sector, which Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar “deeply appreciated”. India had significant investments in Afghanistan’s mining sector before 2021.

Later in the day, Muttaqi said at a press conference that Afghanistan needed technology and expertise in the mining, health, and power-generation sectors. He said Kabul would set up a trade committee to work jointly with India to remove obstacles to trade. Muttaqi, who arrived in India on Thursday on a six-day visit, would travel to Agra and Deoband.