Taliban acting foreign minister to visit New Delhi after UN ban exemption

Afghanistan's acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, is scheduled to visit New Delhi from October 9 to 16 after the United Nations Security Council committee that oversees Taliban-related sanctions approved a temporary exemption to his long-standing travel ban, officials said. The trip would mark the first ministerial visit from Kabul to India since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021 and comes after months of cautious diplomatic engagement between the two states.

The UN Sanctions Committee, which administers measures established under resolution 1988, approved the travel exemption on September 30, according to the committee's public records. Muttaqi was placed on the Security Council list on January 25, 2001, and has been subject to a travel ban, assets freeze and arms embargo. India confirmed the exemption and said details of the visit would be released to the media, while a government spokesperson declined to provide further specifics. Indian officials have referred to Muttaqi as Afghanistan's foreign minister for the purposes of the meeting even though New Delhi has not extended formal recognition to the Taliban administration.