UNSC committee temporarily lifts travel ban on Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi
\n New Delhi
\nThe UN Security Council Committee has temporarily lifted a travel ban on the Afghan Taliban foreign minister, which would allow him to visit India between October 9 and 16, India\u2019s foreign ministry said on Friday.
\nIf confirmed, it would be the first visit to India by a senior leader of the Taliban-run Afghan administration since it seized power in 2021 after 20 years of US military presence.
\nDelhi and Kabul have traditionally enjoyed close ties when the Taliban were not in power.
\nForeign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is among Afghan Taliban members who are under UN sanctions, including a travel ban and asset freeze. Temporary exemptions are sometimes granted for diplomacy.
\nIndia\u2019s foreign ministry spokesperson told reporters that New Delhi had already been speaking to the Afghan administration, and noted that it had provided support after an earthquake on August 31. He did not specifically confirm that the visit would take place.
\nDiscussions during Muttaqi\u2019s trip would centre around bilateral cooperation, trade exchanges, exports of dry fruit, facilities in the health sector, consular services and various ports, said Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesperson of the Afghan Taliban\u2019s foreign ministry.
\nHe did not, however, mention the dates of the visit.
\nIndian and Afghan media have reported that Muttaqi would travel to Russia before visiting New Delhi.
\nIn Moscow, he was expected to discuss the situation in Afghanistan with representatives from Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, India, and Central Asian countries, the reports said.
\nHekmatullah Hekmat, an Afghan political analyst, said the visit to India was highly significant for the Taliban government.
\n\u201cAfghanistan is in dire need of establishing relations with regional countries, especially its neighbours. It needs to build political, economic, and trade ties and to gain recognition,\u201d he said.
\nOnly Russia has so far recognised the Taliban government. India closed its embassy in Kabul in 2021, but a year later opened a technical mission to coordinate humanitarian assistance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNSC committee temporarily lifts travel ban on Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi New Delhi The UN Security Council Committee has temporarily lifted a travel ban on the Afghan Taliban foreign minister, which would allow him to visit India between October 9 and 16, India\u2019s foreign ministry said on Friday. If confirmed, it would be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":506624,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-506598","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n