Afghan missions in Tehran, Istanbul handed over to Kabul

KABUL (TOLOnews): The Afghan embassy in Tehran was officially turned over to diplomats of the Islamic Emirate. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, seven diplomats, including Charge d’affaires Fazl Mohammad Haqqani, were dispatched to Tehran on Monday to avoid delays in the delivery of embassy services.
“The leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to send a team of seven experienced diplomats to the Afghan embassy in Tehran in order to not stop delivering services to our compatriots living in Iran,” said Zai Ahmad Takal, deputy of the Foreign Ministry.
Iran’s foreign ministry in a statement considers the handing over of the Afghan embassy in this country to be an internal issue of Afghanistan and said that Iran’s foreign ministry is not involved in this issue.
“Iran monitors the situation according to the political developments and regional policies and on this premise has preferred to establish diplomatic relations with the Islamic Emirate,” said Sayed Muqadam Amin, a political analyst.
Following the handing over the Afghan embassy in Tehran to the current government, Zakir Jalali, an official at the Foreign Ministry, confirmed to TOLOnews that the Afghan consulate in Istanbul was also officially handed over to the representative of the Islamic Emirate.
Jalali added that Gulmat Khan Zadran has been appointed as the new consul of Afghanistan in Istanbul.
Political analysts said handing over the Afghan consulate in Istanbul as well as the Afghan embassy in Tehran to the current government of Afghanistan as a significant development for the Islamic Emirate in terms of diplomacy.
“Iran aims to engage Afghanistan more. This engagement will slow down if the Taliban ambassador or envoy is not accepted in the Afghan embassy,” said Najib Rahman Shamal, a political analyst.
“Giving the Taliban charge of embassies and diplomatic missions undoubtedly puts the Taliban in a superior position,” said Sayed Jawad Sajadi, another political analyst.
Even though over one and a half years have passed since the Islamic Emirate came to power, the current government has not been recognized by any country, but the embassies of Afghanistan in Russia, China, Pakistan and Iran have been entrusted to the diplomats of the Islamic Emirate.