By Mohammad Farshad Daryosh in TOLOnews Online, April 04, 2023 at 6:50 PM
The Russian special envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said on Monday that the general consulate of Russia based in Mazar-e-Sharif is operating.
According to the TASS report, Alexey Pereverzev was previously appointed as Russian consul general in Mazar-e-Sharif.
The Islamic Emirate Foreign Ministry said that several months ago Russian consular technical groups came to Afghanistan to provide consular services.
“According to our information, the technical teams of this consulate have come a few months ago to prepare the grounds for consular services again and to continue technical operations,” said Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesman of the Foreign Ministry.
Analysts said the resumption of Russian consular services in Afghanistan indicates an improvement in ties between Moscow and Kabul.
“It indicates that the diplomatic ties between the Taliban and the Russians have also improved,” said Mahdi Manadi, a former diplomat.
“In Kabul, after the attack on the Russian embassy, the Russian consulate was closed, but good business interests persist. The Russian consulate with Russia in Mazar-e-Sharif has been opened for issuing visas,” said Tariq Farhadi, a political analyst.
“The Taliban government is required to provide the security of all foreign embassies, especially some embassies whose ties are highly vital from the point of view of trade, transportation, and other relations with Afghanistan,” said Assadullah Nadim, a military expert.
Kabulov told TASS in July 2021 that the consulate general in Mazar-i-Sharif had suspended its work amid rising tensions in northern Afghanistan and Russian diplomats were evacuated.
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-182821
