Overview

• External affairs minister S. Jaishankar announced the upgrade of India’s technical mission to a full embassy during talks with Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi.
• The upgrade restores a full diplomatic presence, replacing the limited technical team India maintained in Kabul since 2022 after closing the embassy in 2021.
• India unveiled new assistance including six development projects, 20 ambulances, MRI and CT equipment, vaccines and cancer medicines, a food consignment, and support to rebuild homes in quake-hit areas and housing for forcibly repatriated refugees.
• Jaishankar called for coordinated action against cross-border terrorism, and Muttaqi said Afghanistan would not allow its territory to be used to threaten other countries.
• New Delhi kept formal recognition off the table, linking any change to inclusive governance and adherence to security red lines, as Muttaqi’s Oct 9–16 trip proceeded under a UN Security Council travel waiver.