Indian envoy meets Taliban representative in Doha

New Delhi: In the first formal diplomatic contact between India and the Taliban on Tuesday after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, Ambassador of India to Qatar, Deepak Mittal, met Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the head of the Taliban’s Political Office in Doha.

The meeting took place at the Embassy of India, Doha, at the request of the Taliban side, the ministry of external affairs ministry said today. The discussions focused on safety, security and early return of Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan.

The travel of Afghan nationals, especially minorities, who wish to visit India, also came up, external affairs minstry said.

Ambassador Mittal raised India’s concern that Afghanistan’s soil should not be used for anti-Indian activities and terrorism in any manner.

The Taliban Representative assured the Ambassador that these issues would be positively addressed.

Earlier, the Taliban had lauded the development works of India in Afghanistan.