The day after Afghanistan regained control of the Taliban and the US withdrawal from the Hindu Kush was completed.A senior Indian official met for the first time in Doha with a senior Taliban official.
Afghan Taliban political office in Doha
According to reports received from New Delhi on Tuesday, August 31, the Indian Foreign Ministry said that Indian Ambassador to Qatar Deepak Mittal had a first meeting with Sher Muhammad Abbas Stanikzai.The head of the Afghan Taliban's political office in the Gulf Arab state's capital.
Indian Foreign Minister
According to the Indian Foreign Ministry, the meeting took place at the request of the Taliban.It was the first regular contact of its kind between New Delhi and the hard-line Afghan Taliban since the Taliban took control of Kabul in the middle of this month.
New Delhi Foreign Ministry Statement
India has long been concerned about the Afghan Taliban because of its close ties with India's rival, neighboring Pakistan.
According to a Foreign Ministry statement in New Delhi, the meeting between Deepak Mittal.Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai in Doha also touched on the security of Indians still in Afghanistan.
Indian concerns over Afghanistan
According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, during the meeting, Indian Ambassador to Qatar Mittal also briefed Stanikzai on New Delhi's concerns that anti-India militants could use Afghan territory to step up their attacks against India.
In response to this concern, the head of the Taliban's political office in Doha assured the Indian ambassador that New Delhi's concerns would be fully addressed.
Recognition of the Taliban: India's first signal
Earlier, India had said it was in talks with "key stakeholders in Afghanistan".
However, New Delhi has never confirmed or denied that Indian officials have ever met with the Taliban leadership or their representatives.
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