India is actively working to strengthen its ties with Afghanistan, with a special emphasis on development projects. A promise to work with the “government of the people of Afghanistan” to solve pressing developmental needs has been made by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
This was brought to light during a recent meeting held in Dubai on January 8, 2025, between Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
In addition to providing continuous humanitarian aid, India has promised to look into participating in a number of development initiatives in Afghanistan. This covers assistance for the medical field as well as refugee rehabilitation.
India has a long history of giving Afghanistan significant humanitarian aid, such as food and medical support. India’s willingness to sustain this support while looking into new opportunities for development collaboration was underlined during the recent talks.
In order to support Afghanistan’s economic stability, both parties committed to promoting the use of Chabahar Port as a crucial gateway for humanitarian supplies and trade.
Enhancing collaboration in sports, especially cricket, was also discussed, which is important for building interpersonal ties between the two countries.
Jaiswal went on to say that by stepping up its development and humanitarian assistance, India hopes to maintain its long-standing partnership with Afghanistan.
“We want to keep improving on our efforts there to fortify our enduring relationship with the people of Afghanistan on both of these points. In athletics, we also wish to do more. As you may have noticed, Greater Noida serves as the home venue for a number of Afghan cricket players that compete in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In order to increase the benefits of our strategy, humanitarian aid, and involvement in developmental cooperation, these are all the areas in which we wish to strengthen our ties.”
According to the MEA, India has already sent a number of shipments to help the Afghan people, including 50,000 MTs of wheat, 300 tons of medications, 27 tons of aid for earthquake victims, 40,000 liters of pesticides, 100 million doses of polio vaccine, 1.5 million doses of COVID vaccine, 11,000 units of hygiene kits for the drug de-addiction program, 500 units of winter clothing, and 1.2 tons of stationery kits.
The MEA official added that India is keeping a “close eye” on the political developments in Canada following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announcement that he intends to step down as prime minister.
“Canada is experiencing a number of political changes. We are closely monitoring them. There is a very strong bond between Canada and India.Jaiswal added, “We hope that the relationship will continue to be strong and that India will be prepared to take any step in this direction.”
Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, declared earlier this month that he would step down as both prime minister and head of the Liberal Party as soon as a replacement was selected. He said that until March 24, the Canadian Parliament would either be suspended or prorogued.
In order to maintain regional stability and meet humanitarian needs, India has resumed its involvement with Afghanistan under the Taliban government. Even though
