Geopolitics in South Asia is in upheaval, shaken by the aftershocks of citizen revolutions, abrupt changes of government and the rivalry between India and China. In difficulty in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Nepal, where its traditional allies have been ejected from power, India is in the process of pushing its pawns into Afghanistan, a strategic country in its confrontation with Pakistan. A meeting took place in Dubai on Wednesday January 8 between the Indian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Vikram Misri, and his Afghan counterpart, Amir Khan Muttaqi. These were the first high-level discussions between the two countries since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021 following the withdrawal of American forces. India, like other countries, has not officially recognized the Taliban government, but New Delhi is nonetheless moving forward on the path to normalizing its relations with Kabul. Communication channels were restored as early as June 2022, when India reopened its embassy in the Afghan capital with a team of “technical experts”. In December 2023, it was China which was the first country to appoint a real ambassador to Kabul. After their meeting, the Taliban foreign ministry said it considered India an “important regional and economic partner”. To revive bilateral trade, the two countries will use Iran’s Chabahar port, an infrastructure developed by India to allow goods to bypass Pakistani ports of Karachi and Gwadar. India further plans to engage in development projects in Afghanistan, in addition to its ongoing humanitarian aid programme. The timing of this rapprochement is particularly good for India, because its greatest enemy – and neighbor – Pakistan, has entered into open conflict with Kabul. The government of Narendra Modi wants to take advantage of Islamabad’s difficulties to regain its influence and not let China, the great rival, occupy the vacuum left by the departure of the West. You have 65.68% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
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