India, Taliban Hold First Official Meeting In Dubai; Discuss Security, Humanitarian Aid, Bilateral Ties

The Afghan Taliban expressed its "sensitivities to India's security concerns" as India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Taliban's Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai on Wednesday.

This meeting marked the first officially acknowledged interaction between the Indian Foreign Secretary and a senior Taliban leader, reported Hindustan Times.

During the discussions, India pledged to assist Afghanistan's health sector and contribute to the rehabilitation of refugees, continuing its outreach to the Taliban-led regime in Kabul, which New Delhi has yet to formally recognise.

The Indian Foreign Ministry stated that the Taliban acknowledged India's security concerns, although specific details were not disclosed.

Sources familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity, revealed that India remains concerned about the presence of fighters from Pakistan-based terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Afghanistan.

India has urged the Taliban to prevent Afghan soil from being used by anti-India elements.

In response to a request from the Afghan side, India offered to provide "further material support in the first instance to the health sector and for the rehabilitation of refugees." This comes amid Pakistan's expulsion of more than 500,000 Afghan refugees.

The two sides also discussed bilateral ties, regional developments, and the promotion of Chabahar port in Iran for trade and humanitarian activities.

An Indian state-owned company operates a terminal at the port, which has become vital for bypassing Pakistan and facilitating aid to Afghanistan. India and Iran signed a 10-year agreement for operations at Chabahar in 2022.

Foreign Secretary Misri reiterated India's "historic friendship with the Afghan people" and expressed India's readiness to meet Afghanistan's urgent development needs. The two sides also considered strengthening sports cooperation, especially in cricket. The Taliban's acting Foreign Minister thanked India for its ongoing humanitarian assistance.

India's humanitarian support to Afghanistan includes shipments of wheat, medicines, earthquake relief, vaccines, hygiene kits, winter clothing, and stationery kits. Additionally, India is contemplating further involvement in development projects in Afghanistan.

India's development projects in Afghanistan, which were funded through grants and soft loans, ceased following the Taliban's takeover of Kabul in mid-2021. India had also evacuated its diplomats at the time, re-establishing a presence in Kabul in 2022 with a "technical team."

The meeting in Dubai came just days after India condemned Pakistan's recent airstrikes in Afghanistan, which killed dozens of civilians. India accused Islamabad of using neighbouring countries as scapegoats for its "own internal failures."