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       NEW DELHI: In what is said to be the first such meeting, a senior Indian government functionary held talks officially with the acting Taliban defence minister of Afghanistan, The Wire said on Friday.

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       It said the meeting took place between the joint secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs, J.P. Singh, who is in charge of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran desk, and acting defence minister of Taliban Molvi Muhammad Yaqoob Mujahid.

       According to the report, the meeting took place in Kabul on Nov 5.

       Mr Singh also met Taliban acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, a report by Times of India notes.

       Meeting highlights both sides’ willingness to develop bilateral ties

       This was his second visit to Kabul this year.

       Reports said the meeting highlighted both sides’ willingness to develop bilateral relations, especially on humanitarian cooperation and to strengthen interaction between Afghanistan and India.

       India in alignment with international consensus, does not recognise the Taliban regime.

       In May 2023, The Wire had been the first to report that the Taliban government tried to replace the Afghan ambassador to India, who was appointed by the previous Islamic Republic, with another diplomat, Qadir Shah, as chargé d’affaires.

       Following the departure of Afghan ambassador Farid Mam-undzay and most Afghan diplomats last year, consular needs of the large Afghan community in India, including students, had been thrown into uncertainty, The Wire said.

       Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2024