In the first official Indian visit to Kabul since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, a team led by a senior official from the Ministry of External Affairs met Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mottaqi on Thursday.

J P Singh, Joint Secretary in charge of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran (PAI) in the MEA, led the Indian team. In the past, he has met Taliban officials in Doha, Qatar.

India closed its mission in Kabul soon after the Taliban entered the city last August.

The Indian delegation led by Singh visited a hospital, a school, and a power plant in Kabul during the day.

Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi, who tweeted a photograph of the meeting, said diplomatic relations between Afghanistan and India, bilateral trade, and humanitarian assistance were discussed.

Mottaqi, Balkhi said, welcomed the first delegation from the MEA and the Indian government, and called it a “good start” between the two countries. He thanked India for its recent humanitarian and health assistance to Afghanistan.

According to the spokesperson, Mottaqi stressed that India should resume its stalled projects, activate its diplomatic presence, and provide consular services to Afghans, especially Afghan students and patients.

He said the Indian delegation too said it wanted good relations with Afghanistan as earlier, and would continue providing assistance.

Balkhi said India would consider “assisting and working with Afghanistan” in various fields as it had recently opened its borders and ports to Afghan exports, and exports were higher than in previous years. This, he said, is expected to facilitate further growth of Afghanistan’s exports and support its economy.

Earlier in the day, the MEA said the Indian team would meet “senior members of the Taliban”, and hold discussions on India’s humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.

The purpose of the visit, the MEA said, was to oversee “delivery operations of our humanitarian assistance” to Afghanistan.

It said the team would also meet representatives of international organisations involved in distribution of humanitarian assistance. In addition, the team was expected to visit places where Indian programmes and projects were being implemented.

(With inputs from agencies)