Tue Mar 11 03:11:13 UTC 2025: ## India Reiterates Commitment to Afghan People, Discusses Future Development Projects with Taliban

**United Nations, NY** – India has reaffirmed its commitment to the people of Afghanistan and its willingness to engage with the Taliban regime, while stressing the need for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. This was conveyed by India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, during a UN Security Council meeting on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

Ambassador Harish highlighted a January meeting in Dubai between India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi. The meeting, the highest-level contact between the two sides since the Taliban takeover in 2021, focused on bilateral relations and regional developments. The Taliban reportedly expressed gratitude for India’s continued support.

India, according to Ambassador Harish, plans to expand its engagement beyond current humanitarian aid to include future development projects. Since 2001, India has invested in over 500 projects across Afghanistan, and since August 2021, has delivered significant quantities of relief material, wheat, pesticides, and medical supplies. This aid includes collaborations with UN agencies, such as the UNODC, focusing on areas like healthcare, food security, education, and drug user welfare.

Ambassador Harish emphasized the centuries-long relationship between India and Afghanistan, stressing the people-to-people connection as the foundation of current engagement. India’s participation in various international forums, including meetings in Doha and the Moscow Format, reflects its commitment to securing peace and stability in the region.

However, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, expressed concerns about the Taliban’s selective adherence to international obligations and the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan. She highlighted the need for the Taliban to clearly indicate their commitment to reintegration into the international community and address concerns about the well-being of the Afghan people. Otunbayeva emphasized that the Taliban’s actions directly impact the possibility of progress and the well-being of the Afghan population.

Despite these concerns, India’s statement signals a continued, albeit cautious, approach to engaging with the Taliban regime, focusing on humanitarian assistance and development, while closely monitoring the evolving situation in Afghanistan. Further discussions included plans to strengthen sports cooperation, particularly in cricket, and utilize the Chabahar port for trade and humanitarian aid.

Read More