Kabul: Following the attacks on the Indian consulate in Balkh province and Pakistan’s consulate in Nangarhar province, Tajikistan has decided to close down its missions in Badakhshan and Kunduz.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said that Tajikistan’s embassy in Kabul – through an official letter to the ministry – termed mounting insecurity as the main reason behind the closure of the consulates.
“The letter has stressed the move will not have any impact on friendly relations between Kabul and Dushanbe,” the MoFA added.
Khairullah Azad, the deputy spokesman for the MoFA, said: “Tajikistan’s embassy in Afghanistan has sent an official letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which reads that the country has temporarily closed down its consulates in Badakhshan and Kunduz provinces for some minor security reasons.”
Badakhshan Governor, Faisal Bekzad, said Tajikistan has closed their mission due to insecurity. “Tajikistan’s consul called me and said that for some security reasons, his country has decided to temporarily close down the consulate,” he added.
Acting Governor of Kunduz province, Hamdullah Daneshi, said militant groups were posing a serious threat to the Central Asian countries, particularly Tajikistan. As such, he urged regional countries to cooperate with Afghanistan in the fight against terrorism.
“Terrorism doesn’t know borders; it poses a serious threat to Central Asia, particularly Tajikistan. To get rid of militancy, these countries should join hands with Afghanistan in fight terrorism,” he said.
In addition, Dawat-e-Islami Foundation of Afghanistan Ulema said that Tajikistan had also wanted to close its consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province. However, it said that local officials assured the Tajik government its foreign mission in the province would be secure.
“Tajikistan closed down its consulates in Afghanistan’s north and northeast. The country wanted to close down its consulates in Balkh province as well, however, the provincial acting governor, Ata Muhammad Noor, did not let that happen.
He pledged to ensure security of the consulate,” Sayed Abdul Hadi Hedayat, head of Dawat-e-Islami Foundation of Afghanistan Ulema, said.
A number of political experts believe that mounting insecurity, political pressure and political games by Russia have prompted Tajikistan to close down its consulates.
Nasrullah Stankzai, a professor at Kabul University, said one of the reasons behind the closure can be insecurity and another reason is that Tajikistan by closing its foreign missions in Afghanistan wants to protest to Kabul in the face of insecurity.
Tajikistan has constantly said that Afghanistan is like a door to the sea for Tajikistan – and that a peaceful Afghanistan is in the interests of Tajikistan.
Trade between the two countries has increased by 50 percent over the past five years and Kabul and Dushanbe have signed about 80 cooperation agreements to date. http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/23291-tajikistan-closes-consulate-offices-in-badakhshan-kunduz
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