Afghanistan

Russia reopens consulate in northern Afghanistan

Russia’s consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif city in northern Afghanistan has resumed its operations, a Taliban spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ahmad Zia Takal, said on Tuesday.

He added that the consulate started preparations months ago and has now reopened.

In July 2021, the consulate general in Mazar-i-Sharif suspended its activists when the Taliban ramped up its attacks in the northern city.

Quoted by TASS, the Russian envoy for Afghanistan and director of the Russian foreign ministry’s second Asia department, Zamir Kabulov, said on Monday that Russia’s consulate general in Afghanistan’s Mazar-i-Sharif is already operating.

Earlier, Alexey Pereverzev was appointed Russian consul general in Mazar-i-Sharif, according to TASS report.

After the fall of the Republic government, most foreign embassies closed. Since then only 12 foreign embassies are in Kabul. They are Iran, Pakistan, Qatar, China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, UAE, India and Turkey.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in February that France, US, Britain, Germany, Canada, Spain and Australia are operating in Doha and “are in contact with our embassy there (in Doha).”

Over the past year under Taliban rule, Daesh has claimed responsibility for attacks on Russia and Pakistan embassies in Kabul as well as an attack on a hotel accommodating Chinese nationals in the Afghan capital.

Taliban has often stressed that the security of diplomatic offices and foreign diplomats will be maintained.