Taliban Minister calls for easing visa regime, enhanced trade

Afghans are fierce fighters but they are also renowned for being trusted friends, said Taliban administration’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi here on Monday (October 13, 2025). Addressing a meeting at FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry), Mr. Muttaqi pitched for greater connectivity between the India and Afghanistan and said visa regime between the two sides must be liberalised to facilitate greater people to people contact.

“Afghans are known for being fierce fighters but we did not fight because we like fighting. Our fights were necessary to ensure our freedom. We are also strong in love and friendship. When we extend a hand of friendship, that is a strong hand,” said Mr. Muttaqi at a business event at the FICCI house where he called for enhanced trade in fresh fruits and in the mining sector.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Muttaqi urged easier visa regime between India and Afghanistan to facilitate easy travel, and said, “India should give more visas for Afghan visitors. Afghans need visas for visiting hospitals in India, they need visas for education and for building business ties.” 

Mr. Muttaqi said Afghanistan is peaceful and the Taliban administration will ensure peaceful condition for Indian industrial entities if they want to cater to the requirements of Afghanistan and said, “We did a lot of work and gave a lot of sacrifices. We brought peace in Afghanistan and cleared our region of foreign military.”

He also called upon Indian pharmaceutical industry majors to come to Afghanistan to build manufacturing units. “Afghanistan requires manufacturing units for medicines and your side should consider it as it will certainly be a profitable venture,” said Mr. Muttaqi.

The interaction which came days after India and Afghanistan declared opening of air freight corridor between two sides also highlighted the importance of the Iranian port of Chabahar. Speaking at the event, Subhankar Datta of KEC that is involved in heavy engineering projects in Afghanistan said, the port of Chabahar is necessary to transport heavy equipment that can not be transported otherwise. Mr. Muttaqi assured that the air corridors that will connect, Delhi, Mumbai and Amritsar with Kabul and Kandahar and will help ease the transportation problem. He expressed hope that the United States will give exemption to the Chabahar that will help people of Afghanistan. Mr. Muttaqi who met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on October 10 agreed on a wide spectrum of cooperation between the two sides including in hydropower projects.