India's rapprochement with the Taliban has drawn attention

India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with Afghanistan's interim government Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai on Wednesday, a meeting seen as India's step toward strengthening relations with Afghanistan's new leadership.
India has been gradually improving relations with the Taliban since last year, and this meeting represents the first high-level diplomatic engagement.
India has provided more than $3 billion in aid and development funding to Afghanistan over the past 20 years. According to India's Foreign Ministry statement, the meeting resulted in agreements on regional development, trade and humanitarian assistance, as well as restarting development projects and healthcare initiatives in Afghanistan.
This meeting took place several days after India issued a statement condemning Pakistan's recent airstrikes on Afghanistan, which killed at least 46 people in the past month.
The meeting also followed the Taliban's appointment of Ikramuddin Kamil, who previously studied in India before becoming a Taliban diplomat, as ambassador to the Afghan consulate in Mumbai in November last year.
With this, India has joined countries like Russia, China, Turkey, Iran, and Uzbekistan in allowing the Taliban to manage Afghan embassies.
Kabir Taneja, Deputy Director of the Indian research organization "Observer Research Foundation," said about this: "This is not a strategic shift, but rather a natural continuation of India's cautious and long-term approach to the Taliban reality in Kabul since 2021." He added, "Like other neighbors, the Taliban is a reality for India. Afghanistan and the Afghan people cannot be ignored."
Professor Raghav Sharma of the Jindal School of International Affairs in New Delhi commented: "This is a continuation of previous policy, we are establishing relations with the Taliban, but we're reluctant to acknowledge the depth of our relationship."
According to a Washington Institute study, countries like Qatar, China, and Turkey are playing leading roles in establishing relations with the Taliban, while Pakistan ranks fifth in terms of influence.