Afghanistan’s Taliban government has appointed its first senior official to India since returning to power in 2021, marking a notable step in bilateral engagement between the two countries.

Noor Ahmad Noor, a Taliban foreign ministry official, has assumed the role of charge d’affaires at the Afghan embassy in Delhi.

According to the embassy, Noor has already held meetings with Indian officials.

“Both sides emphasised the importance of strengthening Afghanistan-India relations,” the embassy said in a post on X.

A photograph of Noor with senior Indian foreign ministry official Anand Prakash was also shared.

India has not officially recognised the Taliban government, and it has yet to comment on the appointment.

Nonetheless, the move signals a deepening engagement, as New Delhi seeks to leverage divisions between Islamabad and Kabul.

The appointment is significant for the Taliban’s broader push for international legitimacy and control over Afghanistan’s overseas diplomatic missions.

In October, India announced plans to upgrade its technical mission in Afghanistan to a full embassy.

The engagement comes despite ideological differences between the Taliban’s strict Islamic law and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu fundamentalist government.

Currently, Russia remains the only country to officially recognise the Taliban government.