An external affairs ministry delegation is visiting Afghanistan as part of an Indian effort to deepen its engagement with the Taliban regime, without official diplomatic relations, to protect the substantial stakes New Delhi has in the war-ravaged country.

Joint secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran) J.P. Singh, the team leader, met Afghan foreign minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi and former President Hamid Karzai on Thursday and interacted with an Afghan business delegation on Friday.

While India initially kept the visit under wraps, the Afghan foreign ministry put out posts on X about it and issued a statement on Thursday.

The Afghan side said Singh and Muttaqi had discussed economic and transit matters. Singh was quoted as saying that India was interested in expanding its economic and political relations with Afghanistan and in increasing trade through the Chabahar Port, developed by India in Iran.

Muttaqi urged India to facilitate visas for Afghan businesspersons, patients and students. The business leaders who met Singh and his delegation on Friday repeated the request and told the diplomat about the difficulties they face in conducting trade with India via Chabahar.

Asked about the visit at the weekly briefing, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the delegation had met senior members of the Afghan government, Karzai, officials of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, and Afghan businessmen.

“The delegation held discussions on India’s humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and also discussed (the) use of Chabahar port by Afghan traders,” Jaiswal said.

“India has historical and civilisational ties with the Afghan people and these longstanding linkages will continue to guide our approach.”

Jaiswal sidestepped questions on whether this was a precursor to opening up the Indian embassy or the consulates in Afghanistan.

New Delhi withdrew all Indian personnel from Afghanistan in mid-August 2021 following the Taliban takeover. But it opened its technical mission in Kabul in June 2022 to facilitate and coordinate the humanitarian assistance and also oversee the Indian projects in the country.

While India does not appear too keen to rush to recognise the Taliban regime, officials say that New Delhi cannot afford to not engage with it given India’s stakes in Afghanistan. Also, with personnel on the ground, channels of communication need to be maintained.

New Delhi appears to be also looking to exploit Afghanistan’s tensions with Pakistan, hoping the Taliban rulers will not pander to Islamabad’s desire to use their country to bolster its strategic depth against India.