Moscow, Oct 20 (UNI) A Taliban delegation led by Maulvi Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, met with JP Singh, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, on the sidelines of the Moscow Format meeting here on Wednesday, in India’s first high-level contact with the Taliban government in Kabul.

During the meeting, “both sides considered it necessary to take into account each other's concerns and to improve diplomatic and economic relations”.

“The Indian side expressed readiness to provide extensive humanitarian assistance to the Afghans,” said a statement released by Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesperson and Deputy Minister of Information and Culture of the Islamic Emirate.

He said the meeting with JP Singh and his accompanying delegation was held on the sidelines of the Moscow Format Meeting.

The Taliban delegation was holding separate meetings with the representatives of the countries that have come for the Moscow Format meeting.

This is the second such bilateral meeting after Indian envoy to Qatar Deepak Mittal met Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai in Doha on August 31.

This is also the second time that JP Singh is meeting with a Taliban delegation, with the first meeting held in Doha on August 12, just three days before the Taliban took over Kabul.

India has stated that its policy towards Afghanistan is guided by its friendship with the Afghan people.

India is also convening a meeting on Afghanistan at the National Security Advisor level, to be held in November.

The Russian capital hosted the Third meeting of the Moscow Format of consultations on Afghanistan. The event was attended by representatives from 10 countries of the region including India.

Giving New Delhi's approach to Afghanistan, post its takeover by the Taliban, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that India’s approach “has always been guided by its historical friendship with its people. This will continue to be the case.”

Underlining the grave humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, he has said that India is willing to stand by the Afghan people, just as in the past.

In remarks made in September, Jaishankar said that it is essential that humanitarian assistance providers are accorded unimpeded, unrestricted and direct access to Afghanistan.

India has pressed for an inclusive government in Afghanistan.

India has invested more than US $3 billion for the welfare of the people of Afghanistan, and undertaken 500 projects in critical areas of power, water supply, road connectivity, healthcare, education, agriculture and capacity building, across all the provinces.

UNI/RN