(MENAFN- Live Mint) Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is set to meet with his Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar, today. The meeting will be the first high-level diplomatic engagement between the Afghan Taliban and New Delhi since the group seized power in 2021 after two decades of US military presence.

Muttaqi landed in New Delhi on Thursday, in the first high-level trip from Kabul, days after the UN Security Council's Taliban Sanctions Committee approved an exemption to the travel ban imposed on him.

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"Warm welcome to Afghan Foreign Minister, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi on his arrival in New Delhi," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on social media soon after the Taliban leader landed in India.

"We look forward to engaging discussions with him on bilateral relations and regional issues," he said.

The UNSC committee approved a temporary exemption to the travel ban on 30 September, allowing Muttaqi to visit New Delhi from 9 October to 16, according to a statement by the UN.

The exemption paved the way for the Afghan foreign minister to visit India, where he can stay till 16 October.

Will India recognise the Taliban government?

Muttaqi's India visit highlights the Taliban administration 's efforts to seek international recognition and underscores India's strategic move to counter its regional rivals, Pakistan and China, who are deeply involved in Afghanistan.

Muttaqi's visit to India is expected to add a new dimension to India's relations with the Taliban set up in Kabul . India has not yet recognised the Taliban set up and has been pitching for the formation of a truly inclusive government in Kabul.

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New Delhi has also been insisting that Afghan soil must not be used for any terrorist activities against any country.

A top Taliban leader told Times of India, ahead of Muttaqi's India visit, that it's time for both the governments to elevate the relationship by granting recognition to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), the name used by the Taliban for the country.

Time to raise the diplomatic level: Taliban

“It is the first high level visit by our foreign minister to India and is very significant. We expect it will initiate a new phase of relations between the two countries. There are a lot of areas which can be explored for mutual cooperation during this visit,” the head of Taliban's political office and Afghanistan's ambassador to Qatar Suhail Shaheen was quoted as saying by TOI.

“I think it is time for leadership of both countries to raise the diplomatic level by granting recognition to IEA government and thus paving the way for bilateral cooperation and expansion of relations in various fields,” added Shaheen.

In January, the Taliban regime described India as an "important" regional and economic power following talks between Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Muttaqi.

Jaishankar had held a phone conversation with Muttaqi on May 15. It was the highest level of contact between New Delhi and Kabul since the Taliban came to power.

What else is on the agenda?

Apart from his meeting with Jaishankar, Muttaqi is also expected to hold extensive talks with India's National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval during his trip to India, people familiar with the matter said.

Muttaqi's engagements include a visit to the Darul Uloom Deoband seminary and the Taj Mahal, the people cited above said.

The Afghan foreign minister was scheduled to visit New Delhi last month but it was called off in view of a travel ban that he faced under UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions.

What do experts say?

Experts said India's invitation to Muttaqi is a pragmatic move, given India's interests in Afghanistan. But some also warned against giving the Taliban regime full recognition until the United Nations does so.

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Mohammad Reyaz, an expert on India–Afghanistan relations at Aliah University in Kolkata, told LiveMint on Thursday that India has multiple strategic interests in Afghanistan that cannot be ignored - especially at a time when anti-Taliban factions are scattered and lack support from global powers.

India is strengthening its engagement with the Taliban government to maintain its position in Afghanistan, even as it gradually distances itself from its former Afghan allies, Reyaz said.

“India's engagement with the Afghan Taliban is also tied to regional security concerns - particularly fears of Pakistan's intelligence agencies using the Taliban and other militant groups as proxies,” he said.

It is time for leadership of both countries to raise the diplomatic level by granting recognition to IEA government.

Praveen Donthi, senior analyst with the International Crisis Group , told news agency AP that Muttaqi's visit marks India's pragmatic engagement with the Taliban.

“New Delhi views the world through the prism of its rivalry with either China, Pakistan, or both. The Taliban's efforts at a balanced foreign policy, which involves establishing relations with rival countries and groups, mirror New Delhi's own playbook,” Donthi told the US news agency.

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