Indian and Serbian officials attend August 15 event at Afghan Embassy in Delhi

The Afghan Embassy in New Delhi on Monday held a ceremony to mark the fifth anniversary of the Islamic Emirate’s return to power. A number of foreign diplomats, including representatives of India, the host country, and Serbia, the only European country represented at the event, attended the ceremony.

Representatives from Palestine, Russia, China, Eritrea, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Niger, Qatar and Oman were also present.

Noor Ahmad Noor, Afghanistan’s Chargé d’Affaires in India, stressed the importance of strengthening ties between Kabul and New Delhi, saying, “We believe that stronger political trust, economic partnership and continued engagement between Afghanistan and India will not only benefit both countries, but will also make an important contribution to regional stability, connectivity, and shared prosperity.”

Noor said Afghanistan seeks deeper economic relations with India, adding that its foreign policy is based on “balanced engagement and non-interference” and that Kabul seeks “positive, constructive, pragmatic and sustainable” relations with all countries.

He said diplomatic contacts between Afghanistan and India have expanded in recent years, with embassies and consulates becoming more active and high-level delegations from both sides visiting each other’s capitals.

Referring to the historical ties between the two countries, Noor said, “The ancient cities of Afghanistan, such as Kabul, Herat and Kandahar, welcomed Indian traders and caravans, while Indian cities such as Delhi and Lahore benefited from the influence of Afghan scholars, poets and Sufis.”

He added, “This is our shared past, from which we draw inspiration for a better future.”

Noor also called on India to support Afghanistan’s rights at international forums. “We also appreciate their emphasis at international forums on the need to ensure Afghanistan’s legitimate international rights. We hope that greater attention and practical efforts will be made in this regard,” he said.

The Afghan diplomat said Afghanistan’s stability was important for the wider region. “We believe that Afghanistan’s stability is not only a success for Afghans; it is also an important opportunity for economic growth, trade, energy, transit and security across the entire region,” he said.

Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary in charge of the Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran division at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, also attended the event.

India has not formally recognised the Islamic Emirate, but diplomatic contacts and engagement between the two sides have increased in recent years.