NEW DELHI: Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has met with industry and business leaders in New Delhi to increase India’s economic engagement with Afghanistan, following the Indian government’s decision to reopen the embassy in Kabul and air cargo connectivity.
Muttaqi was hosted by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry on Monday, on the fifth day of his visit, which included official engagements with top government officials in New Delhi.
“The deliberations with the visiting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi were fruitful,” Vikramjit Sahney, parliamentarian and FCCI Senior Executive Council member, told Arab News.
“They assured all the Indian businesspeople — whether traders or some Indian companies doing projects there ... or companies planning to participate in Afghanistan’s restructuring — of all help, safety. Many Indian companies present vouched for it.”
Muttaqi was accompanied by a delegation that included Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce Ahmadullah Zahid.
He arrived in India last week — the first senior official from Afghanistan to do so since the Taliban took power after the withdrawal of US-led troops from the country in 2021.
Like most Taliban leaders, he has been sanctioned by the UN, but the Security Council said last month that he was granted “an exemption to the travel ban” to visit New Delhi from Oct. 9 to 16.
Last week, Muttaqi met his counterpart, S. Jaishankar, who announced that India would upgrade what it calls its “technical mission” in Kabul to the status of embassy.
And reopen the India-Afghanistan Air Freight Corridor — a 2017 trade initiative to promote direct air cargo connectivity, bypassing land routes that were often restricted due to political tensions, especially with Pakistan which lies between the two countries.
Sahney said the corridor, which will include flights between Amritsar, Kabul and Kandahar, “was discussed and finalized between the ministers” and that it would also increase tourist traffic, especially health tourism.
Prior to the Taliban takeover, Afghan nationals comprised about 9 percent of foreigners seeking medical services in India, which dropped in 2021 as India withdrew officials from its embassy in Kabul and suspended regular visa services.
“Indian industry representatives highlighted that the visa remains a severe bottleneck and needs to be resolved immediately for smoother movement of businessmen from both sides,” the FICCI said in a statement after the meeting with Muttaqi.
Several Indian companies have already resumed their operations in Afghanistan.
The FICCI listed among them engineering and infrastructure giant KEC and healthcare provider Max Hospitals.
“Afghanistan is trying its level best to enhance India’s collaborations for enhancing bilateral economic engagements,” the FICCI said.
“The Indian industry is keen to engage with Afghanistan in all possible manners, and the Afghan minister assured of creating and maintaining conducive conditions for enhancing economic cooperation.”
