Australia to Suspend Afghanistan Embassy Operations
Australia’s Foreign Ministry announced the Afghanistan embassy in Canberra will be suspended after June 30, 2026, following an agreement on an orderly and dignified transition process.
The ministry and Afghanistan embassy issued a joint statement Friday saying the transition will occur without compromising either party’s principled positions on Afghanistan’s current situation.
The Afghanistan embassy in Australia has been among the last diplomatic missions worldwide still operating under credentials from the pre-August 2021 government. Most countries have closed Afghanistan embassies or allowed them to operate in diplomatic limbo, neither recognizing Taliban authority nor fully severing ties, creating challenges for Afghanistan’s citizens abroad who need consular services like passport renewals and document authentication.
Australia’s Foreign Ministry emphasized the country has no intention of accepting any diplomat, honorary consul, or representative appointed by the Taliban regime in Kabul.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, the international community has largely refused to grant diplomatic recognition due to the group’s systematic human rights violations, particularly restrictions on women and girls. No country has formally recognized the Taliban government, though some maintain pragmatic engagement on humanitarian issues, creating a complex diplomatic landscape where Afghan citizens abroad struggle to access basic consular services.
Australia stated it does not recognize the Taliban as the legitimate representative of the people of Afghanistan and strongly condemns systematic human rights violations, especially against women and girls.
The embassy has been managed by Waheedullah Waissi, a diplomat appointed by Afghanistan’s previous government, who will no longer have his credentials renewed after February.
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