India holds first talks with Taliban defense chief to boost ties

India held its first official meeting with Taliban government’s defense minister in Afghanistan, after the group seized power three years ago amid a chaotic withdrawal of the U.S. forces.

The Indian delegation headed by senior diplomat J.P. Singh held talks with Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, the ministry said in a post on X. They discussed ways to expand relations and boost humanitarian aid to the country, according to the post.

It’s India’s first official meeting with Mujahid, who is considered a key decision maker in the highly conservative Islamic establishment. The discussions included using Iran’s Chabahar port to increase bilateral trade with Afghanistan, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters in New Delhi.

Mujahid asked the visiting delegation to fully restore India’s consular services in Kabul and grant visas for Afghans, Taliban government’s defense ministry spokesperson Enayatullah Khwarizmi said in a text message.

India shut its embassy in Kabul in August 2021 and has repeatedly refused accepting a Taliban ambassador even though the latter has taken de facto control of its diplomatic mission in New Delhi.

The meeting indicates India’s intention to build ties with the Taliban administration that received military and logistical support from Pakistan during the war against the U.S. forces. Relations with its neighbor have since eroded after claims that the Taliban gave refuge to anti-Pakistan militant groups.

While a handful of countries, including China, Pakistan and Russia, have accepted Taliban diplomats, they don’t formally recognize the government, which has been condemned internationally for human rights violations. China was the first nation to grant diplomatic credentials to the Taliban last year.