British authorities have notified Afghan diplomats of the closure of the country’s embassy, which was designated by the Ashraf Ghani regime, according to the ambassador of the former Afghan government in London, Zalmay Rasul, Ariana News reports.
The embassy will officially close on September 27. It should be noted that after the fall of the Ghani regime (August 2021), Afghan embassy employees around the world (mainly in the West) continue to work. Officially the new Taliban government* It has not yet been recognized by any country, but several countries in the Middle East and Asia have already accepted diplomatic missions from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA). In late July, the Islamic Emirate announced that it would no longer recognize diplomatic missions created by the former puppet government, and therefore passports, visas and other documents issued by diplomats associated with the previous administration would also no longer be recognized.
At the same time, Afghanistan’s seat at the UN remains occupied by a representative from Ashraf Ghani’s defunct government, despite repeated requests by the IEA to replace him. The IEA’s foreign ministry said in July that documents issued by missions in London, Berlin, Belgium, Bonn, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Greece, Poland, Australia, Sweden, Canada and Norway would no longer be accepted.
Britain has also reportedly given embassy staff 90 days to decide whether to leave the country or stay and apply for asylum.
Meanwhile, Iran responded to the news by saying that the move would bring European countries closer to Kabul. Director General of the Western Asia Department of the Iranian Foreign Ministry Seyyed Rasul Mousavi He said the move “seems contradictory, but this is the path Europe has taken.” In addition, the German Foreign Ministry recently admitted that it had started official correspondence with the IEA’s Foreign Ministry. The German government has also asked the Afghan embassy and consulate in Berlin and Bonn to establish relations with Kabul.
*Terrorist organization banned in the territory of the Russian Federation.
