India Participates in Taliban-Organized Conclave in Kabul for Regional Cooperation

India joined around 10 countries in attending a conclave in Kabul organized by the Taliban, focusing on regional cooperation. The meeting, addressed by the Talibans acting foreign minister, emphasized the importance of regional dialogues to enhance positive interactions with Afghanistan.

On Monday, India joined approximately 10 other nations in attending a conclave in Kabul hosted by the Taliban administration. The primary objective of this gathering was to foster regional cooperation. The acting foreign minister of the Taliban regime, Amir Khan Muttaqi, addressed the Regional Cooperation Initiative meeting.

Participating Countries

The participating countries included India, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Indonesia, and Kyrgyzstan, as reported by Afghanistan's Khaama Press news agency. Russia was represented by its special representative for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov.

Muttaqi's Emphasis on Regional Dialogues

A statement released by the Taliban foreign ministry revealed that Muttaqi stressed the importance of regional dialogues to enhance and sustain positive interactions with Afghanistan. Notably, there has been no official statement regarding the meeting from Indian officials.

India's Participation and Diplomatic Protocol

India's participation in the meeting occurred shortly after the Indian embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) extended an invitation to the charge d'affaires of the Afghan mission in the Gulf nation, Badruddin Haqqani, to attend the Republic Day celebrations in Abu Dhabi. A government source clarified that the invitation was sent to all accredited missions based in the UAE as part of standard diplomatic protocol.

Muttaqi's Call for Cooperation and Removal of Sanctions

During his address, Muttaqi urged the participants to capitalize on emerging opportunities in Afghanistan for regional development and coordinate the management of potential threats. He emphasized that regional cooperation should focus on exploring region-centric pathways based on shared benefits. Muttaqi also called for the removal of unilateral sanctions imposed on Afghanistan, asserting that Kabul is prepared to engage and cooperate with regional countries based on mutual interest and respect.

India's Diplomatic Presence in Kabul

In June 2022, India re-established its diplomatic presence in Kabul by deploying a technical team at its embassy in the Afghan capital. This move came after India had withdrawn its officials from the embassy due to security concerns following the Taliban's takeover.