Cooperate with the real government or change the legal status?

Some media sources have claimed that Iran's Foreign Ministry is handing over the Afghan embassy in Tehran to a Taliban diplomat. However, the spokesperson of the Iranian Foreign Ministry says, "The end of the mission of a diplomat and entrusting the affairs of the embassy to another diplomat from the same embassy complex does not mean a change in the legal status of that embassy."

 

 

Western media have reported, quoting "Embassy sources", that on Monday (February 19), Sayed Rasool Mousavi; Assistant Foreign Minister of Iran, Abdul Qayyum Soleimani; He called the head of the embassy and the diplomat of the previous government of Afghanistan to the foreign ministry and officially informed him that "the Islamic Republic of Iran has accepted the head of the Taliban nominated by the foreign ministry and you should hand over the affairs of the embassy to Fazl Mohammad Haqqani, based on the nomination of the foreign minister of the Taliban." ».

 

According to this "source", the delivery date has been determined on Monday next week (February 27).

 

The Islamic Emirate has also appointed a person as Consul General for the Afghan Consulate in Mashhad. The consul general introduced by the previous government had already left his post.

 

Following the release of this news, there was a flood of often organized reactions in social networks and mass media, among which, of course, the embassy's own media authorities and communication channels also performed inadequately and unprofessionally, intentionally or unintentionally. He participated in the production and development and fueling of false advertising and subversive propaganda.

 

Meanwhile, the suspended and uncertain situation of Afghan embassies abroad in the absence of a real government is not only a legal issue for the host governments; But at the same time, it has a negative impact on the consular services of embassies and consulates for the people, and in the absence of a responsible authority for the needs of the people, the major impact of this situation is on their lives.

 

This is more important about the situation of the Afghan embassy in Tehran than many other diplomatic missions of the country in other countries; because in Iran, about six million legal or illegal Afghan refugees live; A population equivalent to the entire population of a Scandinavian country. Providing consular and legal services is not easy for them. This requires infrastructure, facilities, capacity, power and all-round communication with the "real" government based in Kabul.

 

In the absence of these conditions, the main pressure will be placed on security agencies and organizations active in the field of immigration in the host government; Because they have to issue residency certificates, provincial certificates, death certificates, visas, work and study permits, etc. for thousands of people every day. Some of these services require the cooperation of the embassy and consulate; According to that, the authorities should be in contact with Kabul and obtain assignments from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, Directorate of Passports, Department of Statistics, etc. regarding legal requests and providing legal services for immigrants.

 

On the other hand, the Ma'and media have claimed that Iran intends to hand over the Afghan embassy in Tehran to the Taliban, which Iran's diplomatic apparatus has clearly informed and clarified about this, citing their unspecified "sources" inside the embassy. The decision-making authority in this regard is also the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran; The authority has officially announced that there has been no change in the legal status of the embassy and the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran towards the caretaker government located in Kabul, and what happened in the embassy was the usual transfer of diplomats who had previously worked in this political representation.

 

Therefore, neither the color of the flag has changed nor the approach of Iran's foreign policy towards the caretaker government; The only change that has happened is that from now on, the Afghan embassy in Tehran and the country's consulate in Mashhad will solve the legal needs of immigrants within the radius of direct communication with Kabul, and they will be committed and responsible for the services they provide.

 

Another point is that the Afghan embassy in Tehran is considered one of the most profitable diplomatic representations of the country in a foreign country. The authorities who are trying to create atmosphere from inside the embassy with the help of the western media, mainly have financial interests and considerations, not necessarily the concern of handing over the embassy to the emirate and changing its legal status; Because nothing like this happened; However, in order to ensure the usual communication between the embassy and the real government agencies that dominate Kabul, the financial resources from its services and activities will naturally be transferred to the center, and this is not something that diplomats whose mission period has ended.

 

Anyway, as it was said, firstly, the embassy did not act responsibly and transparently in the field of informing about the changes made. Second, the authority for making decisions and providing information about Tehran-Kabul relations and the legal status of Afghanistan's political representation in Iran is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, not the anonymous "sources" of the BBC and Afghanistan International! Thirdly, this event, without any official change in the relations between the two sides, took place only in order to facilitate consular and legal services to 6 million refugees in order to slightly reduce the uncertainty of the host government's institutions in the area of residence and activity and security of immigrants.