Overview

• Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi arrived in New Delhi on Oct. 9 under a UN 1988 Sanctions Committee exemption permitting travel through Oct. 16.
• He is scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, with India’s foreign ministry offering a “warm welcome” and signaling talks on bilateral and regional issues.
• Talks are expected to focus on counter-terrorism, trade and transit, consular services, humanitarian aid, and Afghan requests to upgrade their embassy presence and expand consulate staffing.
• The trip follows Moscow-format consultations where regional states, including India, opposed new foreign military bases, while Russia remains the only country to have formally recognised the Taliban administration.
• India keeps a technical mission in Kabul and continues assistance as Pakistan and other neighbors closely track the engagement.