As there were strong speculations that the Afghan embassy in India is all set to shut down its operations, now they have officially announced to end it effecting from today (October 01), according to a statement of the Afghanistan embassy.Afghan embassy announces to end of its operations in IndiaIn an official statement, the Afghan embassy said, “It is with profound sadness, regret, and disappointment that the Embassy of Afghanistan in New Delhi announces this decision to cease its operations.”Citing reason as lack of support from the host government and the failure to meet the expectation in serving Afghanistans interests, the statement stated, “The embassy has experienced a notable absence of crucial support from the host government, which has hindered our ability to carry out our duties effectively.”Press StatementFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDate: 30th September, 2023 Afghanistan is closing its Embassy in New Delhi. The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in New Delhi regrets to announce the decision to cease its operations, effective October 1, 2023. pic.twitter.com/BXesWPdLFP— Afghan Embassy India (@AfghanistanInIN) September 30, 2023 The embassy said that this decision, while deeply regretted, was made after careful consideration by taking into account the historic ties and long-standing partnership between both nations.Lack of diplomatic support from India: EmbassyThe embassy said that there is also a lack of diplomatic support in India, saying that there is an absence of a legitimate functioning government in Kabul.Further, it also highlights some like the shortage of both personnel and resources available. “The lack of timely and sufficient support from visa renewal for diplomats to other critical areas of cooperation led to an understandable frustration among our team and impeded our ability to carry out routine duties effectively,” the statement read.However, the emergency consular services for Afghan citizens will remain functional till the transfer of the custodial authority of the embassy to India, said the statement.Notably, this move came after the ambassador and other senior diplomats of the Afghan embassy left India for Europe and the United States gained asylum, three embassy officials told news agency Reuters on Friday.At least five Afghan diplomats have left India, the embassy officials said.Embassy on MEAs decision to close down its operationsThe embassy said that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) was earlier apprised of its decision to close down operations in New Delhi. “This communication accurately represents our decision-making process and the factors leading to the closure,” it said.It also urged the government to safeguard the interests of Afghans residing, working, studying, trading, and engaging in various activities in India.Moreover, the Afghan embassy also denied any “baseless claims” regarding internal strife or discord amongst its diplomatic staff or any diplomats using the crisis to seek asylum in a third country.“Such rumours are unfounded and do not reflect the reality of our mission. We remain a united team working towards the best interests of Afghanistan,” the embassy said.India closed down its embassy in Afghanistan after the Taliban took over in 2021.Despite that, India allowed Ambassador Farid Mamundzay and mission staff appointed by ousted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to issue visas and handle trade matters in the country.
