Afghanistan's Taliban-appointed foreign minister, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, met with ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions from neighbouring countries, including India.
The Taliban-controlled Foreign Ministry said in a press statement that other ambassadors and diplomats were from Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Indonesia.
India maintaining "working relations" with the Taliban in Afghanistan is the need of the hour, even if New Delhi does not formally recognise the regime, experts say.
Asked about India's official participation in a
Taliban-organised conclave in Kabul aimed at promoting regional cooperation, Parthasarathy said India, along with other countries, had taken a "wise decision" by maintaining
a channel of communication with them "as it's also in the larger interest of the region".
"They (Taliban) are the ones ruling Afghanistan at the moment and when one has to do any sort of business with the country, it's they who the world would have to talk to," he told Sputnik, adding that it would have been "foolish" on India's part if it did not maintain any communication channel with them.
India, he said, has also been exporting wheat and other essentials to help the people of Afghanistan as and when required to maintain good neighbourly relations.
Another expert discussing the issue with Sputnik expressed the same views, saying "you cannot ignore them as they are ruling a nation".
However, he expressed concern that the Taliban in Afghanistan were not fulfilling the promises they made when they took over the country.
*The Taliban is under UN sanctions for extremism.