Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has landed in New Delhi for a week-long visit. The UN Security Council granted him a travel waiver, allowing his first official trip to India since the Taliban took power in 2021 after the US withdrawal.
Muttaqi will meet External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. His visit comes at a sensitive time, with Pakistan and other neighbours closely watching how India deals with the Taliban government.
Officials in Delhi face a unique challenge. Normally, both countries display their flags at meetings. But India does not recognise the Taliban regime and refuses to allow its white flag with the shahada. The Afghan Embassy in Delhi still uses the old black-red-green flag of the former republic. During earlier talks in Dubai, both sides avoided the issue by removing flags completely. This time, however, the meeting is in India, making the protocol problem harder to solve.
Even without recognition, India has slowly opened channels with the Taliban. It reopened a small mission in Kabul to handle trade, medical support, and aid. Muttaqi’s visit may set the tone for the next stage of India-Afghanistan relations, especially on trade and security.
