The Taliban-led (banned in Russia) government in Afghanistan has announced it will not recognize documents issued by certain Afghan diplomatic missions whose leaders have refused to cooperate with Kabul. The Taliban Foreign Ministry issued this directive via its X page (formerly Twitter).
In its statement, the ministry informed "all Afghan citizens living abroad that, effective immediately, consular services provided by missions in London, Belgium, Berlin, Bonn, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Greece, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Canada, and Australia are no longer recognized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
The Taliban Foreign Ministry noted that it had repeatedly urged Afghan political and consular missions in European countries to engage with Kabul, particularly to address concerns about consular services. "Unfortunately, most diplomatic missions act arbitrarily and without coordination," the statement said.
The ministry advised that Afghans abroad should seek consular services from Afghan missions of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the state name used by the Taliban) in other countries.
The Taliban began its large-scale operation to seize control of Afghanistan following the US announcement in spring 2021 of its decision to withdraw troops. On August 15, 2021, the Taliban entered Kabul without resistance.
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Photo: Vladimir Varfolomeev/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS