Jaishankar-Taliban FM meet: India to upgrade technical mission in Kabul to embassy status, says EAM
India has restored full diplomatic relations with Afghanistan and will upgrade its Technical Mission in Kabul to an Embassy, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said Friday morning, with his Afghani counterpart, Amir Khan Muttaqi, by his side.
“India is fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Afghanistan. I am pleased to announce the upgrading of India’s Technical Mission to status of Embassy’,” Jaishankar said.
The minister spoke about a “deep interest” in Afghanistan’s development and progress, pointing to many existing India-backed projects in that country, and committed to six more.
He also referred to India’s “extended support” for the health of the Afghan people, particularly during the COVID pandemic, and offered a gift of 20 ambulances as a “goodwill gesture”, and also a supply of high-tech medical equipment, vaccines, and cancer medications.
The embassy in Kabul had been downgraded four years ago, and consulate offices in smaller cities closed, amid fighting between the Taliban and the then-Afghani government.
The violence prompted India to deploy military aircraft to evacuate embassy personnel; two C-17 transport planes flew in late August 15 and early August 16 to bring back staff.