THE Afghanistan Embassy here announced on Saturday night that it is ceasing its operations from October 1, citing a “lack of support from the host Government”, failure to meet expectations in serving Afghanistan’s interests, and reduction in personnel and resources. In a statement, the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi said it regrets announcing the decision to cease its operations, effective October 1, 2023. “It is with profound sadness, regret, and disappointment that the Embassy of Afghanistan in New Delhi announces this decision to cease its operations,” the statement said. The embassy said that this decision, while deeply regrettable, was made after careful consideration, taking into account the historic ties and long-standing partnership between Afghanistan and India.

 

The embassy statement also listed key factors affecting its ability to continue the mission effectively and said that they were the primary reasons forthe “unfortunate closure”. The embassy cited a “lack of support from the host Government”,allegingthatit has experiencedanotable absence of crucial support from the host Government, which it said hindered its ability to carry out duties effectively.

 

The mission also cited “ failure to meet expectations in serving Afghanistan’s interests” as one of the reasons. “We acknowledge our shortcomings inmeetingthe expectations and requirements necessary to serve the best interests of Afghanistan and its citizens due to the lack of diplomatic support in India and the absence of a legitimate functioning Government in Kabul,” the mission said. It also said that due to unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances, there has been a significant reduction in both personnel and resources available to it, |making it increasingly challenging to continue operations.