This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information.(April 2022) |
This is a list of the current ambassadors of Afghanistan. Ambassadors represent the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, which collapsed in 2021, unless otherwise noted.
Host Country | Ambassador | Notes |
---|---|---|
Australia | Wahidullah Waissi [1] | [2] | also Ambassador to Fiji and New Zealand
Austria | Khojesta Fana Ebrahimkhel | Ambassador to the Republic of Austria and Permanent/Resident Representative to the United Nations and other International and Regional Organizations in Vienna and non-resident to Croatia, Hungary, Liechtenstein, and Slovenia [3] |
Azerbaijan | Mohammad Taqi Khalili [2] | |
Bangladesh | Abdul Qayoom Malikzad [4] | |
Belgium | Nazifullah Salarzai [1] | Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the EU and NATO [1] |
Bulgaria | Ahmad Sidiq Dlir | Chargé d'Affaires a.i. |
Canada | Hassan Soroosh [1] | United States since the closure of the Embassy in the U.S. in 2022. [5] [1] | Accredited to the
China | Bilal Karimi | Taliban and accredited by China on 1 December 2023. China was the first country to accredit a Taliban ambassador. [6] | Appointed Ambassador by the
Egypt | Mohammad Moheq | |
France | Parwana Paikan | Chargé d'Affaires ai |
Germany | Abdul J. Ariyaee | |
India | Tahir Qadiry | Chargé d'Affaires June 18, 2019–Present [7] |
Indonesia | Qais Barakzai | Chargé d'Affaires ai [8] |
Iran | Fazl Mohammad Haqqani | Accredited as the Taliban's chargé d'affairs in February 2023 [9] |
Iraq | Abdul Jamil Parvani | |
Italy | Wajiha Qazizadah | Chargé d'affairs a.i. |
Japan | Bashir Mohabbat | 2017–present |
Kazakhstan | Mohammad Farhad Azimi | |
South Korea | Abdul Hakim Atarud | |
Kuwait | Assadullah Hanif Balkhy | |
Malaysia | Naqibullah Ahmadi | Appointed Acting Head of the Embassy by the Taliban in 2023. [10] |
Netherlands | Homayoon Azizi [1] | |
Norway | Youssof Ghafoorzai [1] | |
Oman | Abdul Samad Moneeb | Chargé d'Affaires since July 2023 [11] |
Pakistan | Sardar Ahmed Khan Shakeeb | [12] [13] | Appointed Charge d'Affaires by the Taliban in October 2021.
Poland | Gul Hussain Ahmadi | non-residence Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania and Romania [14] |
Qatar | Naeem Wardak | Appointed First Secretary of the Embassy by the Taliban. [15] [16] [17] |
Russia | Jamal Nasir Gharwal | Appointed Chargé d'Affaires by the Taliban and accredited by Russia on 9 April 2022. [13] |
Saudi Arabia | Ahmed Javed Mujadidi [18] [19] | |
Spain | Humayoon Rasaw | |
Sri Lanka | Ashraf Haidari | Based in the United States since the Taliban takeover [1] |
Sweden | Dr Hameed Haami | |
Switzerland | Nasir Andisha [1] | |
Tajikistan | Mohammad Zahir Aghbar | |
Turkey | Salahuddin Rabbani | |
Turkmenistan | Fazal Muhammad Sabir | Appointed Chargé d'Affaires by the Taliban in March 2022. [20] [21] [22] |
Ukraine | Mohammad Asif Dilawar | |
United Arab Emirates | Ahmad Sayer Daudzai | Chargé d'Affaires [23] |
United Nations | Naseer Ahmad Faiq | [24] | Chargé d'Affaires a.i.
UNESCO | Parwana Paikan |
The foreign relations of Afghanistan are in a transitional phase since the 2021 fall of Kabul to the Taliban and the collapse of the internationally-recognized Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. No country has recognised the new regime, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Although some countries have engaged in informal diplomatic contact with the Islamic Emirate, formal relations remain limited to representatives of the Islamic Republic.
Turkmenistan's declaration of "permanent neutrality" was formally recognized by the United Nations in 1995. Former President Niyazov stated that the neutrality would prevent Turkmenistan from participating in multi-national defense organizations, but allows military assistance. Its neutral foreign policy has an important place in the country's constitution. Although the Government of Turkmenistan claims to favour trade with and export to the United States, and Turkey, its single largest commercial partner is China, which buys the vast bulk of Turkmen natural gas via the Central Asia–China gas pipeline. Turkmenistan has significant commercial relationships with Russia and Iran and growing cross-border trade with Afghanistan. The Government of Turkmenistan often appears to use the conflicting interests of these regional powers as a means to extract concessions, especially on energy issues.
Afghan passports are international travel documents issued by the General Directorate of Passports to nationals and citizens of Afghanistan. Every person with a valid Afghan identity card (Tazkira) can apply for and receive an Afghan passport, which is renewable every 5–10 years.
Afghanistan and Canada established diplomatic relations in 1968. In 2003, Canada opened its embassy in Kabul and appointed its first resident ambassador. Afghanistan appointed its first resident ambassador to Canada in 2002. In August 2021, Canada closed its embassy in Kabul with the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan.
The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Washington, D.C. was the primary diplomatic mission of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United States. The building is located at 2341 Wyoming Avenue N.W. in Washington, D.C.'s Kalorama neighborhood. The chancery is built in the Colonial Revival style.
The Embassy of the United States of America in Kabul was the official diplomatic mission of the United States of America to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The embassy was housed in a chancery located on Great Massoud Road in the Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood of the Afghan capital, Kabul, and was built at a cost of nearly $800 million. On August 15, 2021, in the face of a Taliban advance on Kabul, embassy staff relocated to makeshift but secure facilities at Hamid Karzai International Airport. Kabul fell and the chancery building officially closed late August 15th.
Senior leaders of the Afghan Taliban have been stationed in Doha, Qatar, since the early 2010s. The original purpose for being there was to open an office that would facilitate political reconciliation between the Taliban, the government of Afghanistan, the United States and other countries. After the Taliban office building opened in 2013, peace negotiations were suspended following objections by the Afghan government that the office was being presented as the embassy of a government in exile. Taliban leaders remained in Doha with accommodation from the Qatari government, on the condition that the office cannot be used for public dealings.
The contemporary borders of the nations of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan are the products of The Great Game in Central Asia between the British and Russian Empires. As a result, the two countries have some cultural ties, with Afghanistan having 1.2 million Turkmen, the third largest Turkmen population behind Iran and Turkmenistan.
An embassy without a government is a diplomatic mission that represents a deposed government to its host country. Such a mission usually arises from a civil conflict which leads to a regime change from an internationally recognised government to one or more new governments that may or may not be recognised when established for a variety or reasons.
Mohammad Naeem Wardak is the head of the Afghan Embassy in Qatar since 2021 and a spokesman of the Taliban's Political Office since 2020. He also previously served the same office from 2013 to 2015.
The Taliban has ruled Afghanistan as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan since taking control by force in 2021, overthrowing the internationally recognized Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The takeover was widely criticized by the international community, and no countries have extended diplomatic recognition to the new regime, despite nominally maintaining relations with Afghanistan. The Taliban has campaigned for international recognition since the takeover. Several countries have vowed never to recognize the Islamic Emirate, and others have said they will do so only if human rights in the country are respected. Some countries have accredited Taliban diplomats at the chargé d'affaires level despite not recognizing the Islamic Emirate. In September 2023, China became the first country to formally name a new ambassador to the country since the takeover, even though China still does not formally recognize the Taliban.
The Embassy of Turkey in Kabul is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of Turkey to resident in Kabul. Formally, the embassy and its staff are still accredited to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The ambassador meets with the unrecognized Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan officials and Taliban members as practically they are the current government of Afghanistan. In March 2022, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has expressed the intention to internationally recognise the Islamic Emirate. The current situation regarding Turkey recognising the Islamic Emirate is ambiguous.
Afghans in the United States will now be referred to the embassy in Canada, which the Canadian government has helped arrange with the U.S. government and leftover Afghan diplomats to remain open, according to several U.S. and former Afghan officials familiar with the matter.
Two other Taliban officials in the foreign affairs and interior ministries confirmed the appointment to Reuters and said similar arrangements had been made in Qatar