Afghanistan's Industry and Commerce Minister Azizi on India visit, emphasis on furthering trade relations

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Weeks after the visit of Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaki, the country’s Industry and Commerce Minister Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi is in India with a focus on furthering bilateral trade and investment ties.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared a post on X on Azizi’s visit to the country on Wednesday.

“Warmly welcome to Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi, Afghan Minister of Industry and Commerce, on his official visit to India. Advancing bilateral trade and investment relations is the main focus of the visit,” he wrote.

Earlier, Muttaki had paid a six-day visit to India in October.

Speaking to a small group of journalists here after wide-ranging talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the Afghan Foreign Minister had invited Indian businesses to invest in his country’s mining, minerals and energy sectors.

Muttaqi, the first senior Taliban minister to visit India since the group seized power four years ago, also said the Taliban would not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against other countries.

India had on October 21 announced the upgrading of its technical mission in Kabul to embassy status as part of broader efforts to deepen its bilateral engagement with Kabul.

The Ministry of External Affairs had said in a statement that the decision underlines India’s resolve to deepen its bilateral engagement with the Afghan side in all areas of mutual interest.

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, during his meeting with Afghan counterpart Muttaki in Delhi last month, had said that India would upgrade its diplomatic presence in Kabul.

India had withdrawn its officials from its embassy in Kabul after the Taliban seized power in August 2021. In June 2022, India reestablished its diplomatic presence in the Afghan capital by deploying a “technical team”.

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On October 10, the Afghan Foreign Minister had said that Kabul would soon send its diplomats to India as part of “step-by-step” efforts to improve bilateral ties.

Muttaqi’s visit to India has assumed greater significance as it came at a time when both India and Afghanistan were facing strained relations with Pakistan over several issues including cross-border terrorism.

India News