External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi, in New Delhi on Thursday, reaffirming India’s commitment to deepen bilateral economic engagement with the Taliban-led government.

The meeting took place during the Afghan minister’s five-day official visit aimed at strengthening trade, connectivity, and cultural linkages between the two countries.

Jaishankar described the discussion as productive, noting that both sides explored avenues to expand trade cooperation, boost connectivity, and support development initiatives that would benefit the Afghan people.

He reiterated India’s long-standing support for Afghanistan’s welfare and reconstruction, particularly in areas such as capacity building, regional trade facilitation, and infrastructure development.

The Ministry of External Affairs extended a warm welcome to Minister Azizi and his delegation, underlining that India remained committed to the well-being of the Afghan population. This engagement signals New Delhi’s cautious but deliberate outreach to Kabul, marking one of the highest-level visits by a Taliban official since the regime’s return to power in August 2021.

It follows the October 2025 visit by Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, which represented the first direct ministerial-level dialogue between the two sides in over four years.

During his visit, Minister Azizi led a high-level Afghan delegation to the India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2025, showcasing Afghanistan’s efforts to strengthen commercial relations with India.

The minister interacted with Indian officials and traders to explore market opportunities for Afghan exports, particularly in dried fruits, carpets, marble, and handicrafts—traditional sectors central to Afghanistan’s economy.

Azizi met Neeraj Kharwal, Managing Director of the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), to discuss Afghanistan’s participation in upcoming trade exhibitions and future collaboration on business facilitation.

The Afghan delegation also visited various national and international stalls at the IITF and engaged with Indian business leaders to discuss opportunities for investment and direct trade linkages.

Afghan exhibitors received strong visitor interest, with their pavilion highlighting authentic national products and cultural heritage. The participation aimed to position Afghanistan as a credible trade partner and reinforce its economic integration with South Asia’s largest market.

Azizi’s visit comes amid rising tensions between Kabul and Islamabad due to increased border clashes and frequent closures at key crossing points. The disruptions have severely affected Afghanistan’s export flow, traditionally reliant on Pakistani routes for maritime access.

In response, Kabul has accelerated efforts to diversify its trade partnerships, focusing on India, Iran, and the Central Asian republics to reduce dependence on Pakistan’s transit corridors.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce has been actively promoting the use of Iran’s Chabahar Port, developed with Indian support, as an alternative trade artery.

The Chabahar route allows Afghanistan to bypass Pakistan entirely for access to Indian and international markets. This strategic shift has also drawn renewed attention to the potential of regional connectivity initiatives linking South and Central Asia through multimodal transport corridors.

India’s engagement with the Taliban government remains carefully calibrated, balancing humanitarian assistance, regional stability, and the need to safeguard its strategic interests in Afghanistan.

Despite the absence of formal diplomatic recognition of the Taliban regime, India has maintained a technical mission in Kabul to oversee aid distribution, infrastructure projects, and political coordination.

The latest meeting between Jaishankar and Azizi reinforces New Delhi’s intent to sustain functional ties centred on trade and development. It also underscores Afghanistan’s growing need for reliable partners beyond Pakistan amid its economic and logistical challenges.

For India, strengthening trade routes through Afghanistan aligns with its long-term vision of integrating the broader region through the Chabahar Port and the International North–South Transport Corridor.

By pursuing economic cooperation despite diplomatic caution, both nations appear to be testing new channels of engagement that could gradually evolve into a broader regional framework.

The ongoing outreach signals India’s willingness to remain a constructive stakeholder in Afghanistan’s economic recovery, provided stability and mutual respect guide the relationship.

Based On ANI Report