India calls for humanitarian assistance and cooperation in Afghanistan

India has called for more humanitarian assistance and international cooperation to ensure peace, stability, and development in Afghanistan.

New Delhi values its civilizational relationship and bonds of friendship with Kabul, India’s top diplomat in the UN said at a Security Council meeting on the situation in Afghanistan on Wednesday.

“Over the years, India has been a strong advocate for peace and stability in Afghanistan,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish, said. “Coordinated regional and international cooperation on key issues concerning Afghanistan is paramount, as is strongly engaging relevant parties for promoting peace, stability, and development in the country.”

The Indian envoy said a coherent policy of engagement will incentivize positive actions. “We call on the United Nations and the international community to adopt nuanced policy instruments that help bring sustainable benefits for the people of Afghanistan.”

India’s decision to restore the status of its technical mission in Kabul to that of an embassy “underscores this resolve” to meet the development needs of Afghanistan, he said.

The Indian Embassy in the Afghan capital was closed after the Taliban came to power following the chaotic US withdrawal in 2021. The building functioned as a technical mission to facilitate Indian humanitarian assistance to the war-torn country.

India and Afghanistan agreed to restore diplomatic relations in October, when Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visited New Delhi.

India is “committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence” of Afghanistan, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said during Muttaqi’s visit.

Jaishankar also expressed appreciation for the sensitivity shown by Afghanistan over India’s security concerns, especially after the terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in April. During the visit, Muttaqi said no one will be allowed to use his nation’s territory against others, underscoring the newly reestablished ties with India.

Afghanistan and Pakistan engaged in a brief and violent skirmish in October, and although they agreed to a ceasefire, Kabul has since regularly accused Islamabad of conducting air strikes in Afghan territory.