Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jan 10: Afghanistan has appointed diplomat Noor Ahmed Noor at the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi, sources said on Saturday, marking another step in strengthening engagement between the two countries amid shifting regional dynamics.
The development comes close on the heels of remarks by Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health, Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, who said India is emerging as a key alternative partner for Afghanistan’s pharmaceutical and healthcare needs, as relations with Pakistan have “deteriorated”.
Addressing the media during his visit to India for the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine held in New Delhi, Jalali underlined Kabul’s intent to open a “new chapter” of cooperation with India. “We have a strong relationship with India, and we are here to open a new chapter of cooperation and collaboration. When it comes to Pakistan, the relationship stands deteriorated,” he said.
India, for its part, reaffirmed its commitment to continued humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, with a focus on long-term supply of medicines and healthcare support as a core pillar of bilateral engagement. Jalali’s visit followed the Ministry of External Affairs formally welcoming him on his first official visit to India, highlighting New Delhi’s sustained humanitarian outreach to Afghanistan despite evolving geopolitical realities.
The appointment of a new diplomat and Jalali’s visit are seen as part of a broader pattern of official exchanges between the two sides. In October 2025, Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visited India for the first time since the Taliban takeover. Speaking during that visit, Muttaqi expressed gratitude for the warm reception he received.
Further easing people-to-people engagement, Afghanistan’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi, announced on November 24 that long-pending visa issues between India and Afghanistan have been resolved. This has enabled Afghan citizens to obtain Indian visas for medical treatment and business purposes.
Addressing a press conference after his five-day official visit to India, Azizi said the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi will play a key role in facilitating these services, while the Indian Embassy in Kabul will also develop programmes to support Afghan nationals.