New Delhi: In the first official visit to Kabul after the Taliban took over in the neighbouring country in August last year, a team led by a senior official from the Union Ministry of External Affairs is in Afghanistan’s National capital.
In Kabul, they are scheduled to meet the “senior members of the Taliban”, and hold discussions on India’s humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan, the Ministry Of External Affairs stated.
The purpose of the visit is said to be overseeing the delivery operations of our humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. They will also be meeting representatives of the International Organizations involved in the distribution of the aid. In addition, the team is expected to visit various places where Indian programs/projects are being implemented, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
J P Singh, who is the Joint Secretary in charge of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran, is the official leading the team. The Indian diplomats had met Taliban officials in Doha previously.
The Ministry Of Home Affairs has said: “In response to the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people, India decided to extend humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people. In this endeavor, we have already dispatched several shipments of humanitarian assistance consisting of 20,000 MTs of wheat, 13 tons of medicines, 500,000 doses of COVID Vaccine, and winter clothing. These consignments were handed over to the India Gandhi Children Hospital, Kabul, and UN specialized agencies including WHO and WFP. Furthermore, India is in the process of shipping more medical assistance and foodgrains to Afghanistan,”
“In continuation with our developmental partnership with Afghan brethren, we have gifted one million doses of India-made COVAXIN to Iran to administer to Afghan refugees in Iran. We have also assisted UNICEF by supplying almost 60 million doses of polio vaccine and two tons of essential medicines.”MEA added.
A further added “India’s development and humanitarian assistance has received a widespread appreciation across the entire spectrum of the Afghan society. In this connection, the Indian team will meet the senior members of the Taliban, and hold discussions on India’s humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan. “India has “historical and civilizational ties with the Afghan people” and “these longstanding linkages will continue to guide our approach”.
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