India Backs Regional Stand With Taliban, Pakistan, China, And Russia Against US Plan To Reclaim Bagram Air Base

In a rare alignment, India joined the Taliban, Pakistan, China, and Russia in rejecting US President Donald Trump’s proposal to reclaim Afghanistan’s Bagram air base, the Indian Express reported.

The opposition came through a joint statement issued after the seventh Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan held in Moscow on Tuesday (7 October), just days before Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to India.

Without naming Bagram, the statement said: “They (the participants) called unacceptable the attempts by countries to deploy their military infrastructure in Afghanistan and neighboring states, since this does not serve the interests of regional peace and stability.”

The meeting saw participation from India, Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, with Belarus attending as a guest.

It was the first time the Taliban delegation, led by Muttaqi, attended as a member.

Trump recently demanded that the Taliban hand back Bagram to the United States.

At a press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on 18 September, he said, “We gave it to (the Taliban) for nothing. We want that base back.”

Later, on his Truth Social platform, he warned: “If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram air base back… bad things are going to happen!”

Rejecting the demand, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said: “Afghans will never allow their land to be handed over to anyone under any circumstances.”

The joint statement also reaffirmed support for Afghanistan’s sovereignty, urging counter-terrorism cooperation and economic integration.

It said the parties “supported the active integration of Afghanistan into the system of regional connectivity” and “reiterated their commitment to continue humanitarian support to the Afghan people.”

Muttaqi, sanctioned under a UN resolution, will visit India from 9 to 16 October after receiving travel approval from the UN Security Council.

Located about 50 km from Kabul, the Bagram air base, Afghanistan’s largest, has two long runways (3.6 km and 3 km) and served as a key hub for US operations during the “war on terror.”

Its position in Afghanistan’s rugged terrain makes it one of the few sites capable of handling large military aircraft, giving it major strategic value.

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