India has joined the Taliban, Pakistan, China, and Russia in opposing the United States’ reported bid to take control of the Bagram air base in Afghanistan. 

In a strongly worded joint statement, the participants, without directly mentioning Bagram, declared that any attempt by external powers to establish military infrastructure in Afghanistan or its neighboring countries is unacceptable, emphasizing that such actions undermine regional peace and stability.

7th Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan

The seventh Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan took place in Moscow, bringing together special representatives and senior officials from India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. A delegation from Belarus attended as an observer, while the Afghan delegation, led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mottaqi, participated as a full member for the first time.

Taliban Foreign Minister Muttaqi’s Visit To India

This declaration comes just days before the anticipated visit of Afghanistan’s Taliban-appointed Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India later this week.

Trump On Bagram Air Base

US President Donald Trump recently demanded that Afghanistan’s Taliban government return control of the Bagram Air Base to Washington, five years after he signed a deal facilitating America’s withdrawal from Kabul. Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump warned: “If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram air base back to those that built it, the United States of America, bad things are going to happen!”

The Taliban rejected Trump’s demand, with spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid asserting that Afghans would never permit their land to be handed over to any foreign power under any circumstances.

Bagram Air Base

Located north of Kabul, Bagram Air Base served as the largest U.S. military installation in Afghanistan, playing a key role in logistics, intelligence, and counterterrorism operations throughout the two-decade American military presence.