According to Iraf News Agency, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that; India has accepted Noor Ahmad Noor, a representative appointed by the Taliban government, as the chargé d’affaires of the Afghan embassy in New Delhi.
This move comes after the upgrade of relations between Kabul and New Delhi, as well as recent visits by Taliban ministers of foreign affairs, industry and commerce, and health to New Delhi. Although India has not yet officially recognized the Taliban, the two sides have focused on expanding trade, exporting medicine and fruits, and establishing transportation corridors.
In August 2021, India evacuated all its diplomats and officials from Afghanistan after the Taliban took control of Kabul. However, in June 2022, New Delhi re-established its diplomatic presence in the country by deploying a “technical” team to the embassy.
The Hindu reported that India was among 11 countries that participated in a regional cooperation initiative meeting hosted by the Taliban in Kabul.
The Deccan Herald reported in mid-March last year that the Modi government was likely to allow the Taliban to appoint its own representative as the head of the Afghan embassy in New Delhi.
According to the report, the Afghan embassy in New Delhi will continue to formally operate as the diplomatic mission of the former “Islamic Republic of Afghanistan”, and the Taliban-appointed representative will not receive accreditation from the Indian government and will not have diplomatic status.
Notably, in early January last year, New Delhi allowed the Taliban to appoint Ekramuddin Kamil, who had studied and lived in India, as the Afghan consul general in Mumbai.
