Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has met with Nooruddin Azizi, the Taliban’s minister of industry and commerce, in New Delhi to discuss expanding trade, connectivity and people-to-people ties.
Jaishankar said the meeting also focused on India’s support for Afghanistan’s development and welfare.
Azizi arrived in India on Wednesday at the head of a Taliban delegation. He said the visit followed an invitation from New Delhi and was aimed at activating and effectively using the capacities of Iran’s Chabahar Port while encouraging Indian investment in the project.
This is the second Taliban ministerial visit to India in less than a month. Earlier, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi travelled to New Delhi, where he and Indian officials agreed to strengthen diplomatic and economic cooperation.
Muttaqi’s visit significantly increased tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan, triggering more than a week of clashes along the border. In response, Pakistan closed key border crossings, prompting the Taliban to announce they would seek alternative trade and transit routes.
Before his departure for New Delhi, Azizi said India offered a suitable market for Afghan goods and that Chabahar Port was the safest route for trade. Indian diplomatic sources said Azizi’s visit provided an opportunity for both sides to explore potential Indian investment in Afghanistan’s mining and hydropower sectors.
The sources also confirmed that Afghanistan has shifted a substantial share of its foreign trade to Iran’s Chabahar Port in recent months in an effort to reduce dependence on Pakistan’s Karachi Port.
