“World is reaching out to PM Modi,” says MJ Akbar ahead of Taliban FM’s visit to India
Former Union Minister of State for External Affairs, MJ Akbar, emphasized the significance of the upcoming visit by Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India, asserting it demonstrates that the world is reaching out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India, reports 24brussels.
Speaking to ANI, Akbar described the visit as a pivotal moment, countering Pakistan’s narrative that India has been isolated. “It’s a very important visit because it shows that the world is reaching out to Prime Minister Modi and to India. Nobody expected that relations with the Taliban would reach a point where we would actually have an official visit from their foreign minister. It’s a very significant development,” he stated.
He praised the visit as a sign of Afghanistan’s recognition of India as a major power, further emphasizing, “It also destroys the narrative that has been created by Pakistan, right?–which is the narrative that India has been isolated. Where is the isolation? The reaching out of Afghanistan itself shows that Afghanistan recognizes India as a major power. India is a power which can be a major factor in the stability and the future of Afghanistan.”
Muttaqi’s visit is scheduled to take place from October 9. This marks the first high-level delegation from Kabul to New Delhi since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021. On October 3, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed ongoing engagement with the interim government in Afghanistan, highlighting diplomatic exchanges and humanitarian assistance following a recent earthquake in the region.
The United Nations Security Council has granted a temporary exemption on international travel restrictions for Muttaqi, permitting him to remain in India for a week starting October 9. Jaiswal assured that the Ministry of External Affairs would continue to provide updates regarding this visit, adding, “We have been having a conversation with the interim government in Afghanistan. You would have seen the telecon that had taken place some time back between the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.” This conversation occurred earlier in May.
