List of ambassadors of Australia to Afghanistan

The Australian Ambassador to Afghanistan is the Australian Government’s foremost diplomatic representative to Afghanistan. On 28 May 2021 the embassy was closed, immediately prior to the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan with the Taliban capture of Kabul in August 2021. Since the embassy's closure, the ambassador now heads the Interim Mission on Afghanistan in Doha, Qatar.[1][2]

Ambassador to Afghanistan
Incumbent
Paul Wojciechowski
since 19 March 2021 (19 March 2021)
StyleHer/His Excellency
ResidenceIslamabad (1968–1979; 2002–2006)
Kabul (2006–2021)
Doha (2021–)
Inaugural holderLew Border
(Resident in Pakistan)
Formation1968
WebsiteAustralia’s Interim Mission to Afghanistan

Posting history

The establishment of diplomatic relations between Australia and the Kingdom of Afghanistan was announced on 17 December 1968 by the Minister for External Affairs, Paul Hasluck, with the High Commissioner to Pakistan based in Islamabad receiving non-resident accreditation.[3] The first Australian Ambassador to Afghanistan, Lew Border, formally presented his credentials to King Zahir Shah on 30 March 1969.[4] With the assumption of power of Babrak Karmal in Afghanistan following the murder of Hafizullah Amin on 27 December 1979, which marked the beginning of the Soviet–Afghan War, the Australian Government of Malcolm Fraser did not recognise Karmal's new government and diplomatic relations were suspended, with informal connections maintained by the High Commission in Islamabad.[4] With the collapse of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan in 1992, an agreement was struck between the two countries for the re-establishment of relations at the consular level on 16 April 1993, with an Afghan Honorary Consul, Mahmoud Saikal, appointed to Canberra on 29 September 1994, but relations at the ambassador level remained suspended.[4]

Australia and Afghanistan re-established diplomatic representation in 2002, after a long hiatus during conflict in Afghanistan.[5] Between April 2002 and September 2006, Australia's High Commissioner to Pakistan was accredited as non-resident Ambassador to Afghanistan.[6] The first resident Australian Ambassador to Kabul was appointed in 2006, with the embassy initially located within the United States Embassy, then later the Serena Hotel.[5] In November 2011, Prime Minister Julia Gillard formally opened a new dedicated embassy in the city.[7]

List of heads of mission

Ambassadors resident in Pakistan
NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Lew Border16 December 1968May 1970[8]
Francis Hamilton StuartMay 1970May 1973[9][10]
Arthur MorrisMay 1973August 1975[11]
John PetherbridgeAugust 197527 December 1979[12]
Relations suspended
Howard BrownApril 200216 July 2004[13]
Zorica McCarthy16 July 20049 August 2006[14]

Since 2006
NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Brett Hackett9 August 200622 January 2008[5]
Martin Quinn22 January 200821 November 2009[15]
Paul Foley21 November 200910 August 2012[16]
Jon Philp10 August 201219 January 2015[17][18]
Matthew Anderson19 January 201521 July 2016[19]
Richard Feakes21 July 201616 October 2017[20][21]
Nicola Gordon-Smith16 October 20178 April 2019[22]
Geoffrey Tooth8 April 201919 March 2021[23]
Paul Wojciechowski19 March 2021present[24]

See also

References
  1. "Statement on the Australian Embassy in Afghanistan - Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Women" (Media Release). Australian Government. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  2. Grattan, Michelle (25 May 2021). "Australian embassy in Afghanistan to close its doors as security situation worsens". The Conversation. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  3. "Appointment of Australian Ambassador to Afghanistan" (Media Release). Department of External Affairs. 16 December 1968. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  4. Maley, William (September 2019). "Australia– Afghanistan relations Reflections on a half-century" (PDF). Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  5. Downer, Alexander (9 August 2006). "Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to Afghanistan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  6. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Afghanistan country brief, Australian Government, archived from the original on 8 March 2015
  7. Sara, Sally (7 November 2011). "Gillard makes surprise visit to Afghanistan". ABC News. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  8. "Diplomatic relations established". The Canberra Times. ACT. 18 December 1968. p. 8.
  9. "Diplomats posted". The Canberra Times. ACT. 29 May 1970. p. 7.
  10. "The Australian Ambassador to Afghanistan". Current Notes on International Affairs. 41 (9): 515. September 1970. Retrieved 26 March 2022. Presented credentials 15 September 1970
  11. "Enovy change". The Canberra Times. 1 May 1973. p. 3.
  12. "Ambassador". The Canberra Times. 7 August 1975. p. 3.
  13. Downer, Alexander (11 February 2000). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Pakistan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  14. Downer, Alexander (16 July 2004). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Pakistan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  15. Smith, Stephen (22 January 2008). "Diplomatic appointment - Ambassador to Afghanistan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 11 February 2014.
  16. Smith, Stephen (21 November 2009). "Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to Afghanistan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 11 February 2014.
  17. "New ambassador to Afghanistan named". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 9 August 2012. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
  18. Carr, Bob (10 August 2012). "Ambassador to Afghanistan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 11 February 2014.
  19. Bishop, Julie (19 January 2015). "Ambassador to Afghanistan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 8 March 2015.
  20. Bishop, Julie (21 July 2016). "Ambassador to Afghanistan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016.
  21. "New ambassador to Afghanistan". SBS. AAP. 21 July 2016. Archived from the original on 23 July 2016.
  22. Bishop, Julie (16 October 2017). "Ambassador to Afghanistan" (Press release). Australian Government.
  23. Bishop, Julie (8 April 2019). "Ambassador to Afghanistan". DFAT. DFAT.
  24. Payne, Marise (19 March 2021). "Ambassador to Afghanistan". Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 27 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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