Afghanistan's acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, has touched down in India for the first visit by a senior Taliban official since the group's 2021 takeover, a trip cleared by a UN travel waiver.

Muttaqi, under UN sanctions since 2001, received a temporary lift from the Security Council's monitoring committee to enable the four-day engagement, which includes meetings with External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.

Indian officials extended a "warm welcome" via spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, signaling interest in "engaging discussions" on bilateral ties and regional stability, though no formal agenda was released.

Trade, security and humanitarian aid top likely topics, as India—home to over 20,000 Afghan refugees and students—continues low-key support without according diplomatic recognition to the Taliban administration.

Kabul's embassy in New Delhi shuttered in 2023 amid diplomatic strains, but consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad handle visas and emergencies. New Delhi's Kabul mission focuses solely on aid coordination, having pumped in $125 million since 2021 for food, health and infrastructure.

The visit caps Muttaqi's whirlwind diplomacy, fresh off Tuesday's Moscow-format talks where Afghanistan's neighbors—India, Pakistan, Iran, China and Central Asian states—united against foreign military footprints, a veiled swipe at U.S. President Donald Trump's push to reclaim the Bagram airbase near Kabul.

Taliban spokespeople hailed the trip as a "milestone" for thawing ties, while analysts caution it won't fast-track recognition without concessions on women's rights and counterterrorism—issues stalling Western engagement.