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Kabul: The Afghan government is committed to ensuring safety and security of foreign organisations and diplomatic missions, the Foreign Ministry here said Tuesday following Australia’s announcement to close its embassy in Kabul.
“Based on the international laws and conventions, and within the framework of agreements with friendly countries, the Afghan government remains obligated to ensure the security of diplomatic missions and the safety of diplomatic and consular representatives,” the Ministry said in a statement.
The statement came after Australia decided to close its embassy in Kabul amid increasingly uncertain security situation.
“We hope, as mentioned in the Australian government statement, that this measure will be temporary, and Australia will soon resume its permanent presence in Afghanistan,” the Ministry added.
Australia’s embassy building will close on Friday, with officials in future visiting Afghanistan from a post elsewhere in the region, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a joint statement.
The government said Australia would revert to diplomats using visiting accreditation for relations with Afghanistan, as was the case before the Kabul embassy opened in 2006, dpa news agency reported.
“It is Australia’s expectation that this measure will be temporary and that we will resume a permanent presence in Kabul once circumstances permit,” the statement read.
Canberra cited the “increasingly uncertain security environment” that has come with the imminent departure of international forces and said the government had been advised security arrangements could not be provided to support an ongoing diplomatic presence.
The move “does not alter our commitment to Afghanistan or its people”, Payne and Morrison said.
Afghanistan is in a state of uncertainty after US President Joe Biden announced that American troops will pull out from the country by September 11, 2021 after almost 20 years. NATO agreed to follow suit.
Almost 10,000 NATO soldiers from the Resolute Support training mission, including 2,500 soldiers from the US and around 1,100 from Germany, the two biggest contingents, are due to leave the country.
Australia has 80 troops remaining in Afghanistan as part of the NATO mission.
Since the withdrawal officially began May 1, the Taliban have intensified attacks on provincial capitals, districts, bases and checkpoints.
