Russia closes its consulate in Mazar over security concerns

Russia’s Consulate in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif has temporarily closed due to security concerns in Balkh province, Russian Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said on Monday.

Speaking to Russia’s TASS news agency, Kabulov said: “The situation is unstable, the Afghan troops have surrendered too many districts. Naturally, that triggers anxiety. So, many consulates [of other countries in Mazar-e-Sharif] have temporarily suspended their work pending clarification of the situation.”

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow was keeping a close eye on the intensification of the activity by the Taliban in a number of Afghanistan’s regions, especially in its northern and northeastern provinces but was not inclined to exaggerate the situation.

Russia’s move follows the closure of at least three other consulate offices in Mazar last week. Pakistan, Turkey and Iran all closed their doors in the city over security concerns.