External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
An Afghan news agency claimed on Wednesday that India has appointed an Afghan diplomat at the Consulate General in Mumbai. In response to this, the Ministry of External Affairs clarified that an Afghan student has been appointed to oversee the work of the embassy. The government has not given him diplomatic status.
After the arrival of the Taliban in Afghanistan, many employees working in the embassy here have left the country and gone to western countries. But India has a large Afghan population, which faces difficulties in services due to staff shortages at the embassy.
Refusal to appoint a diplomat
Giving information on the issue, the Ministry of External Affairs said that in the last three years, many Afghan diplomats posted in the embassies and consulates of Afghanistan in India have left India to seek refuge in Western countries. Due to this, only one diplomat is left to work in the embassy located in the country.
In view of this situation, the government has appointed an Afghan student to look after the work at the Mumbai-based embassy. However, the ministry has clarified that the student has been appointed only to observe the work and has not been given diplomatic status.
Taliban are not recognized
On the issue of recognizing the current Taliban government in Afghanistan, the Ministry of External Affairs said that there is a process to recognize any government. India will abide by the international community’s decision on recognizing the Taliban.
India has not yet recognized the Taliban, but has held several meetings with the Taliban at the representative level. In the same month, India’s Joint Secretary for Afghan Affairs, JP Singh, met Afghanistan’s Acting Defense Minister, Mullah Yakub.
