Afghan Embassy in New Delhi ‘functioning,’ after suspension announcement: India

ANKARA

India said Thursday that the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi is operating, days after it said it was suspending operations beginning Oct. 1.

“Our understanding is that the Embassy in New Delhi is functioning or continuing to function. We are in touch with the Afghan diplomats who are there in that embassy as well with the Afghan diplomats who are at the consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi.

He said the ministry “received a communication last week purportedly from the embassy, indicating that it intends to suspend operations.”

“Such a decision is an internal matter of a foreign mission. However, we have noted that the Afghan consulates general in Mumbai and in Hyderabad, voice their objection to that decision,” he said.

Noting that “we are also aware that there has been a prolonged absence of the ambassador and that a large number of Afghan diplomats have left India in the recent past,” Bagchi added that India “will continue with our efforts to assist the people of Afghanistan.”

“We would hope that a substantial number of Afghan nationals in India are able to continue to receive necessary consular support,” he said.

The Embassy said Sept. 30 that it “regrets to announce the decision to cease its operations, effective October 1, 2023.”

A statement listed factors “affecting our ability to continue our mission effectively are the primary reasons for the unfortunate closure.”

It also alleged it did not receive support from the Indian government, a charge rejected by the New Delhi.

“Those statements which you have referred to, I don’t think they are factually correct,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Thursday in response to a question about India’s support.

The closure announcement came two years after the Taliban returned to power in Kabul.

• Afghanistan
• India