INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Indian government is close to a decision on resuming a diplomatic presence in Afghanistan though the move will not amount to a
recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan regime in Kabul, Indian media reported Wednesday. The issue of India reopening its
embassy in Kabul was discussed at meetings last week during JP Singh, the special envoy to Afghanistan&s visit to Kabul. The Hindustan
Times reported New Delhi is looking at the possibility of posting a very limited number of junior officials, mainly to oversee consular
matters and the distribution of humanitarian aid. India pulled out all its officials from its embassy in Kabul after the former government
collapsed in August last year. Some local Afghan staff are currently responsible for the upkeep of the mission.Sameer Patil, a senior
fellow at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), told the Hindustan Times that all the factors had led to the recognition of the &harsh
reality that Afghanistan under the Taliban (IEA) will be a long haul&. He said: &It is not in India&s interest to overlook this reality for
two reasons & every other regional player has evolved a working relationship with the Taliban (IEA), and the need of the Afghan people for
humanitarian aid.The post India considers reopening diplomatic missions in Afghanistan first appeared on Ariana News.
