A Taliban-appointed diplomat has begun work as the acting head of Afghanistan’s embassy in New Delhi, marking a further step in India’s engagement with the group despite the absence of formal recognition.
Noor Ahmad Noor met on Monday with Anand Prakash, head of the Afghanistan and Pakistan desk at India Ministry of External Affairs, according to a statement published by the Afghan embassy.
While New Delhi does not recognise the Taliban administration, it has allowed the group to assume control of Afghanistan’s embassy, reflecting expanding practical engagement between the two sides.
The ambassador of the former Afghan government announced in November 2023 that the embassy’s activities in New Delhi had been fully suspended, saying the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan had been permanently closed. India’s Foreign Ministry later said the embassy, along with Afghan consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad, remained operational and continued to provide services to Afghan citizens.
In a bulletin posted on the embassy’s X account on Monday, officials said Noor and the Indian diplomat discussed bilateral political and economic relations, as well as the expansion of trade.
Noor urged the Indian government to ease visa issuance for Afghan traders and citizens and to address problems faced by Afghan traders, students and residents in India.
Noor accompanied Amir Khan Muttaqi during his visit to New Delhi three months ago. At the time, Muttaqi said India had agreed to accept a Taliban representative at Afghanistan’s embassy in the capital.
A former official at the Afghan embassy in New Delhi told Afghanistan International that India requires at least one Taliban diplomat at the mission to manage its current level of engagement with the group.
Relations between New Delhi and the Taliban have expanded following Muttaqi’s visit. Since then, Taliban ministers responsible for public health and commerce have also travelled to India, signalling a gradual widening of contacts between the two sides.
