New Delhi [India], October 9 (ANI): Afghanistan's acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi arrived in New Delhi on Thursday on a week-long visit to India.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a post on X announcing his arrival said, 'We look forward to engaging discussions with him on bilateral relations and regional issues.'

https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1976138898385293629

Muttaqi October 9-16 visit, marks the first high-level delegation from Kabul to New Delhi since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021.

Zia Ahmad Takal, head of public relations at the Afghanistan Foreign Ministry was cited by Tolo News as saying that during this visit, Muttaqi will meet with his Indian counterpart and other senior officials to discuss various issues, including 'expanding relations between Kabul and New Delhi.'

Although India does not formally recognise the Taliban, addressing a weekly media briefing, MEA Spokesperson Jaiswal confirmed on October 3 of the continued engagement with the interim government in Afghanistan, highlighting both diplomatic exchanges and humanitarian assistance following a recent earthquake in the region.

Previously, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had spoken with Muttaqi over the phone this May, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had met him in Dubai earlier this year.

The United Nations Security Council has approved a temporary exemption on international travel restrictions for Muttaqi, allowing him to stay in India for a week beginning October 9.

Muttaqi's planned visit to India last month was cancelled after he was unable to obtain a visa waiver for the trip.

This is the second Taliban government in Afghanistan since 1996.

Muttaqi arrived in India after participating in the 7th meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan. In July this year, Russia became the first country to grant recognition to the Islamic Emirate.

The consultations, held in Moscow on October 7, brought together special representatives and senior officials from Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

A joint statement noted that the participants supported 'the active integration of Afghanistan into the system of regional connectivity' to enhance its participation in cross-border economic corridors and infrastructure initiatives.

Meanwhile, in an earlier interview with Tolo News, the Afghanistan foreign minister Muttaqi has firmly rejected calls by US President Donald Trump to reclaim control of Bagram Air Base, declaring that 'not even one metre of Afghan land will be given to the Americans.'

Earlier, Former Union Minister of State for External Affairs, MJ Akbar said that the visit of Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is a vital visit which shows that the world is reaching out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India.

'It's a very important visit because it shows that the world is reaching out to Prime Minister Modi and to India. Nobody expected that relations with the Taliban would reach a point where we would actually have an official visit from their foreign minister. It's a very significant development,' he said. (ANI)