Sources told Afghanistan International that Mohammad Asif Rahimi, the Afghan ambassador to the Netherlands, had been in contact with the Taliban since a long time to secure his position at the Afghan embassy there.
On Tuesday, the Afghan embassy in The Hague announced that it is "engaging" with the Taliban's foreign ministry.
An official of the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry has also confirmed that the group has been in contact with the embassy of Afghanistan in the Netherlands.
In a statement, the embassy called the purpose of communication with the Taliban as "the need to provide consular services" to Afghan citizens.
However, two former diplomats who are familiar with the affairs of the Afghan embassy in the Netherlands, told Afghanistan International that Rahimi had been in contact with Taliban officials in Kabul since a long time for the purpose of transferring the Afghan embassy in The Hague to this group and continue his work as the group’s ambassador.
Rahimi did not respond to Afghanistan International's calls for comment.
So far, several Afghan embassies in countries that mainly support the Taliban group have been transferred to the representatives of the Taliban.
However, unlike the countries that support the Taliban around Afghanistan, the Netherlands does not have a relationship with the Taliban, and the group will not have a space to operate in the Netherlands. The Dutch government had allowed the embassy of the former Afghan government to continue providing consular services to Afghan citizens, but not to engage in political activities.
Sources of Afghanistan International said that by joining the Taliban, Rahimi has tried to ensure the continuation of his position as an ambassador, and at the same time, unlike other Afghan representatives in the West, he receives a salary and financial support from the Taliban government.
Afghan embassies and consular missions abroad, which are still under the management of diplomats of the former Afghan government, do not receive salaries and services from the Taliban's foreign ministry in Kabul, and their source of income is providing consular services to Afghan clients.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands has not yet responded to Afghanistan International's call about the fate of the Afghan embassy in The Hague.
Asif Rahimi, one of the political figures close to Hanif Atmar, the former foreign minister of Afghanistan, has also worked as the governor of Herat and the minister of agriculture of the country.
