As the third anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan approaches, the authorities in Kabul have cut ties with 14 Afghan diplomatic missions.
In a July 30 post on X (formerly Twitter), Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a notice for “all Afghan Nationals residing in European countries!” stating that the Taliban government would not recognize consular and other documents issued by 14 diplomatic missions, most of which are based in Europe. These missions were accused of not engaging with Kabul and taking “arbitrary” actions.
The missions that were named include embassies and consulates in London, Belgium, Berlin, Bonn, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Greece, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Canada, and Australia. The affected documents range from passports to visa stickers, deeds, and other endorsements. Anything an Afghan citizen would need in terms of official documentation from one of these missions while abroad will not be recognized as valid by Kabul.
The statement encourages Afghans living abroad and foreign nationals to visit Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IAE) political and consular missions in other countries for consular services.
Not mentioned in the Taliban statement is the fact that these missions are the ones the Taliban has not been able to establish a working relationship with. Many of Afghanistan’s diplomatic properties are still held by officials of the previous Republic government, many of which have been inactive. This undermines the Taliban’s efforts to gain international recognition.
Last year, the Taliban government stated that they were trying to take control of the country’s diplomatic missions abroad. Efforts were made to take over other missions, with diplomats of the former government continuing their activities alongside the Foreign Ministry.
By 2023, the Taliban had gained access to the former government’s diplomatic properties in various countries, including Central Asia. China was the first country to accept a Taliban-appointed ambassador in December 2023, without conferring official recognition on the Taliban government.
In October 2023, the Afghan diplomatic missions in Spain and the Netherlands confirmed cooperation with the Islamic Emirate, remaining as the only avenues for consular services for Afghans in Europe. It is still unclear how this decision will impact interactions with affected Afghan missions.
This move by the Taliban is another step towards asserting themselves internationally. Recognition by countries through passport and visa issuance confers legitimacy.