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Afghan embassy in Russia to carry on as long as needed — ambassador

It was also reported that the embassy hadn’t established communication with the Taliban and considered itself accountable only to the people of Afghanistan

MOSCOW, December 2. /TASS/. Afghan Ambassador to Russia Said Tayeb Jawad has said the Afghan Embassy in Moscow will keep working for as long as necessary, even as it’s facing financial difficulties.

"We have reduced the number of our employees and may have to further cut our staff because we are facing financial constraints," the ambassador said in an interview with TASS. "We don’t have the funds to pay for our expenses, but we are committed to continuing our service for as long as it’s needed by the government of Russia and the Afghan people here."

The embassy hasn’t received any funding recently, the diplomat said. "For two quarters now, we haven’t received any financial support’’ from either Afghanistan’s budget or private sources, he said.

Many employees work as volunteers to provide consular and other services, Jawad said. "We have a large Afghan diaspora here and they still need these services," he said. "We are happy to provide them as there’s no alternative."

The embassy told the Russian Foreign Ministry that it continues to work and will shut down as soon as its services aren’t needed, he said.

The embassy hasn’t established communication with the Taliban (banned in Russia) and considers itself accountable only to the people of Afghanistan, Jawad said.

"We have not received anything in writing from them," he said, referring to the Taliban. "We are accountable to the Afghan people, of course, that is why we are here, but not to the government of the Taliban.

The ambassador lamented the departure of a lot of diplomats and other professionals from Afghanistan under the Taliban.

"Unfortunately, we are losing a lot of Afghan professionals, capable Afghans not only in the Foreign Ministry but also all the other ministries, who are leaving the country," he said. "It is a big loss for Afghanistan."

He said there’s "absolutely" no chance he would stay on as an ambassador for the Taliban. "I don’t share anything that the Taliban stand for," he said.

If Jawad steps down as ambassador, he said he will look for teaching opportunities in Russia or elsewhere. His areas of interest are conflict resolution, peacebuilding and political science, he said.