India sends diplomats to Kabul for the first time since Taliban takeover

For the first time since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, India has sent a team of diplomats to Kabul to pick up some of the threads from its efforts of over two decades which had to be abandoned with the forced regime change. 

“A team led by Joint Secretary (PAI), Ministry of External Affairs, is currently on a visit to Kabul to oversee the delivery operations of our humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced in a statement on June 2. 

An MEA spokesperson also confirmed to media that the “multi-member team” will meet with senior members of the Taliban regime besides representatives of international organisations involved in the delivery of humanitarian assistance.  

“In addition, the team is expected to visit various places where Indian programmes/projects are being implemented,” the statement elaborated.

“In response to the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people, India decided to extend humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people. In this endeavour, we have already dispatched several shipments of humanitarian assistance consisting of 20,000 MTs of wheat, 13 tons of medicines, 500,000 doses of COVID Vaccine and winter clothing. These consignments were handed over to the Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital, Kabul and UN specialized agencies including WHO and WFP. Furthermore, India is in the process of shipping more medical assistance and foodgrains to Afghanistan,” the MEA statement elaborated.

“In continuation with our developmental partnership with Afghan brethren, we have gifted one million doses of India-made COVAXIN to Iran to administer to Afghan refugees in Iran. We have also assisted UNICEF by supplying almost 60 million doses of polio vaccine and two tons of essential medicines,” the MEA statement added. 

“India has historical and civilisational ties with the Afghan people and these longstanding linkages will continue to guide our approach,” the MEA stated. 

Vishal Thapar

BW Reporters Group Editorial Head for BW’s Defence, Security & Police