Cricket, Security & Aid: What Foreign Secretary Misri Discussed With Taliban Minister In Dubai - News18
Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri met Taliban Defence Minister Muttaqi in Dubai on Wednesday. The photos of the meeting were shared by external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on X. Photos shared showed both Misri and Muttaqi accompanied by officials from both sides present at the meeting.
Foreign Secy @VikramMisri met Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai today. Both sides discussed 🇮🇳's ongoing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, bilateral issues and security situation in the region. India reiterated its commitment to… pic.twitter.com/uszKhXhqON
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) January 8, 2025
The external affairs ministry said Misri and Muttaqi “discussed India’s ongoing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, bilateral issues and security situation in the region".
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“India reiterated its commitment to continue to provide humanitarian & development assistance to the Afghan people. Agreed to promote trade and commerce, including through Chabahar port. India will also extend its support to the health sector & rehabilitation of refugees in the country," Jaiswal said, outlining what all were discussed between the foreign secretary and the Afghanistan’s defence minister.
The Taliban took control of Afghanistan following US troop withdrawal after almost two decades in 2021 and has been ruling the country since.
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A readout by the external affairs ministry said Muttaqi “appreciated and thanked the Indian leadership for continuing to engage and support the people of Afghanistan".
“In view of the current need for development activities, it was decided that India would consider engaging in development projects in the near future, in addition to the ongoing humanitarian assistance programme," the statement said.
At Afghanistan’s request, India will provide more help to improve the health sector and support refugee rehabilitation. Both sides also talked about boosting cricket cooperation, which is very popular among Afghan youth, the statement said. They also agreed to promote the use of Chabahar port to support trade, business, and humanitarian aid for Afghanistan.
There have been concerns about women’s rights as well as rights of minorities in Afghanistan with the Taliban barring women from going to school, working in offices and preventing them from venturing out of their houses without a male alongside them.
India has earlier expressed concern over the bans imposed on women’s education.
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India is also yet to officially recognise the Taliban government.
The meeting comes days after India condemned Pakistan’s air strikes in Afghanistan that killed dozens of civilians. The relationship between Kabul and Islamabad, once strong, is going through a rough patch as Pakistan blames Taliban for using Afghan soil as breeding grounds for terror groups like Pakistan Taliban to attack Pakistan.
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