Afghan FM Muttaqi’s planned India visit put off over UN travel sanctions

Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was scheduled to visit India later this month, but the trip has been put off due to UN Security Council sanctions that restrict his foreign travel, PTI reported citing people familiar with the matter on Friday. The visit was postponed after he failed to obtain a waiver, they said.

Had it taken place, it would have been the first ministerial visit from Kabul to New Delhi since the Taliban seized power in August 2021.

Under the UN sanctions regime, Taliban leaders are required to secure special clearance for international travel.

When asked about reports of Muttaqi’s planned visit, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal refrained from a direct confirmation.

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“We have longstanding ties with the people of Afghanistan. India continues to support their aspirations and developmental needs,” he said. “We continue to engage with Afghan authorities. If there is an update, we will share it with you.”

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had earlier spoken with Muttaqi on May 15, marking the highest-level contact between the two sides since the Taliban takeover.

India has not recognised the Taliban administration, instead urging the formation of an inclusive government in Kabul. New Delhi has also maintained that Afghan soil must never be used for terrorist activities against any country.

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Meanwhile, after a series of earthquakes struck eastern Afghanistan, killing over 800 people and injuring more than 2,800, India rushed urgent humanitarian aid to support relief efforts.

Following the collapse of the Ghani government, India shut its embassy in Kabul and evacuated staff from consulates in Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif. However, over the past two years, New Delhi has gradually expanded its engagements with Taliban representatives.

Since 2021, India has sent 50,000 tonnes of wheat, 350 tonnes of medicines, 40,000 litres of Malathion fertiliser, and 28 tonnes of relief material to Afghanistan, including assistance after the 2023 Herat earthquake.