India reaffirms ‘longstanding ties’ with Afghanistan

The Indian government reaffirmed its “longstanding ties” with Afghanistan and the Afghan people just days before the fifth anniversary of the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul.

Speaking to the media at the bi-weekly briefing here on Friday (August 14, 2026), Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Randhir Jaiswal said: “In the last few months and over a year now, we have had several engagements and several ministerial visits from Afghanistan to India and these have led to strengthening of partnerships in several areas including in development cooperation, trade, connectivity”.

“We have longstanding ties with Afghanistan and the Afghan people, and we look forward to strengthening these ties that we have with them,“ Mr. Jaiswal said in response to a question regarding the Taliban’s reported plans to hold an event at the Afghan Embassy here to mark their coming to power in August 2021.

Noor Ahmed Noor, the Charge d’Affaires of the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi, is scheduled to hold a celebration here on August 17. Though Afghan sources claimed an Indian official would be present at the event, the MEA did not confirm the matter. Officials indicated that a positive posture will be maintained towards the Taliban for the time being as India continues to deal with a hostile Pakistan.

Among the officials and representatives of the Taliban who visited India in the last year were Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Acting Foreign Minister; Nooruddin Azizi, Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce; Noor Jalal Jalali, Minister of Public Health; and Ataullah Omari, Acting Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, who visited in July 2026.