The Afghan Taliban’s Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, is scheduled to visit India from October 9 to 16, 2025, marking the first high-level delegation travel from Kabul to New Delhi since the Taliban assumed control of Afghanistan in August 2021.
This visit comes after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) approved a temporary exception, allowing Muttaqi to travel worldwide despite current sanctions.
Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), acknowledged the visit during a weekly media briefing, emphasizing that India remains engaged with Afghanistan’s interim Taliban government. This engagement includes continued diplomatic interactions and humanitarian support, particularly in the aftermath of the recent terrible earthquake in eastern Afghanistan.
MEA stated that the bilateral communication is ongoing at several levels, ranging from Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar’s May 2025 phone chat with Muttaqi to exchanges between joint secretaries on both sides. India’s commitment is cautious but persistent, with a focus on humanitarian relief and regional stability in complicated geopolitical circumstances.
Following the massive magnitude 6.0 earthquake that rocked eastern Afghanistan on Sunday night, killing at least 1,411 people and injuring over 3,000, India immediately provided humanitarian assistance. On the same day, India flew 21 tons of relief goods, including blankets, tents, hygiene kits, water purifiers, necessary medicines, and other critical supplies, directly to Kabul and the afflicted Kunar region. More help has been delivered through the Chabahar port route.
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar announced on social media that India will continue to closely monitor the situation and send further humanitarian help in the coming days. Food supplies, wheelchairs, hand sanitizers, and medical equipment are among the relief goods distributed, demonstrating India’s comprehensive support for earthquake victims.
Muttaqi’s visit is a crucial diplomatic step, demonstrating India’s resolve to sustain talks with the Taliban temporary administration for regional stability while providing humanitarian assistance. New Delhi resumed technical diplomatic engagement in Afghanistan in 2022 after closing its embassy during the Taliban takeover, and it is carefully balancing security concerns with humanitarian commitments.
The MEA told the media that details on the visit of the Afghan Foreign Minister will be given on a daily basis to keep the public aware of developments. The visit, which comes amid continuing relief efforts, shows India’s nuanced attitude to Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
India’s participation in high-level conversations and swift humanitarian aid delivery during natural disaster relief demonstrates India’s strategic and humanitarian interests in handling its delicate relationship with Afghanistan’s current administration.
All developments are actively observed, and the Ministry of External Affairs will provide further details on the visit.
