The Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that consular services at the Afghan Embassy in Oslo will officially resume on 24 March. The ministry described the development as a “positive step” in its statement published on Saturday.
According to the statement, titled Resumption of Consular Services at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Norway, the announcement was shared via the ministry’s official X (formerly Twitter) account.
Meanwhile, Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier confirmed the appointment of Najibullah Sherkhan, a Taliban representative, as First Secretary at the Afghan Embassy in Oslo.
A letter obtained by Afghanistan International confirms that Norway accepted Sherkhan’s appointment on 31 January 2025, following a formal request by the Afghan Embassy.
In September 2024, Youssof Ghafoorzai, the former Afghan ambassador to Norway, announced the conclusion of his mission after four and a half years of service in Oslo. Following his departure and the subsequent closure of the embassy, a reliable source among former Afghan diplomats in Norway told Afghanistan International that the host country had transferred responsibility for the mission to an individual deemed acceptable by the Taliban.
This development marks a rare case of formal engagement between a European country and a Taliban-appointed diplomat, though Norway, like most nations, has not officially recognised the Taliban government.
