RASC News Agency: The Afghanistan Embassy in Australia has recently affirmed that its consular services will continue “with resilience and stability,” despite challenges posed by the Taliban’s recent moves to discredit certain Afghanistan diplomatic missions. The Australian mission is one of several diplomatic offices whose consular services were declared invalid by the Taliban in August due to their refusal to cooperate with Taliban authorities. In addition to the embassy in Australia, the Taliban also nullified the consular functions of other Afghanistan embassies that declined to engage with their administration.
In response, the Afghanistan Embassy in Australia issued a statement condemning this decision as an attempt to “undermine the consular and diplomatic duties of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan’s foreign missions.” Released today Monday, November 12, the embassy’s statement reads: “Such actions reflect a punitive mindset and a clear violation of fundamental human rights and international norms, as this group, lacking legitimacy at home and abroad, seeks to create hardship for our citizens outside Afghanistan.” The statement further reiterated that its consular activities will persist “with strength and stability, alongside dedicated efforts to address any emerging concerns.”
In August, the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a declaration refusing to accept documents and services, including “certifications, attestations, liability waivers, passport issuance and renewals, visa endorsements,” and other functions provided by Afghanistan diplomatic missions in London, Belgium, Berlin, Bonn, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Greece, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Canada, and Australia. Following the Taliban’s announcement, the Afghanistan embassies in London and Norway were forced to shut down, having been previously managed by diplomats from the former Afghanistan government.
Currently, Afghanistan embassies in regional nations are overseen by Taliban-appointed diplomats. In some countries, former Afghanistan diplomats continue operations under Taliban directives, while in many Western and European nations, where the Taliban are not recognized, Afghanistan embassies have been closed, leaving them in a state of operational and financial limbo.
