Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Friday emphasized that Afghanistan looks at India as a close friend and seeks relations founded on mutual respect, trade, and people-to-people ties. He also reaffirmed that Afghan territory will not be used by any group against other nations, underlining Kabul’s commitment to peace and stronger bilateral engagement with India.
“I am happy to be in Delhi, and this visit will increase the understanding between the two countries. India and Afghanistan should increase their engagements and exchanges. We will not allow any group to use our territory against others,” he said.Â
Muttaqi emphasized that Afghanistan seeks relations with India based on mutual respect, trade, and people-to-people ties, and expressed readiness to set up a consultative mechanism to further strengthen bilateral relations.
“In the recent earthquake in Afghanistan, India was the first responder. Afghanistan looks at India as a close friend. Afghanistan wants relations based on mutual respect, trade and people-to-people relations. We are ready to create a consultative mechanism of understanding, which helps towards strengthening our relations,” he said.
Emphasizing Afghanistan’s desire for friendly and constructive ties with India, the Foreign Minister noted that despite challenges in recent years, Kabul has consistently aimed to maintain positive engagement.
“During the American occupation, there were many ups and downs that happened. At that time, we never made any statement against India. Rather, we always sought good relations with India,” Muttaqi said.
Foreign Minister Muttaqi also underscored Afghanistan’s commitment to enhancing political, economic, and regional cooperation through dialogue and mutual understanding.
“We hope that Afghanistan and India, on an official level and in different areas, increase their engagement and exchanges. We hope that through talks and dialogue, we can increase the level of understanding between us,” he said.
Highlighting the long-standing historical and cultural ties between the two nations, Foreign Minister Muttaqi described India as a “close friend” that has stood by Afghanistan in times of need.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, is on a week-long visit to India from October 9 to 16. This marks the first high-level delegation from Kabul since the Taliban took control in August 2021.
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