List of ambassadors of Australia to Afghanistan

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Special Representative of Australia on Afghanistan
Incumbent
Glenn Miles
since 1 November 2022
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
StyleHis Excellency
Reports toMinister for Foreign Affairs
ResidenceIslamabad (1968–1979; 2002–2006)
Kabul (2006–2021)
Doha (2021–)
NominatorPrime Minister of Australia
AppointerGovernor General of Australia
Inaugural holderLew Border
(Resident in Pakistan)
Formation16 December 1968
WebsiteAustralia’s Interim Mission to Afghanistan

The Ambassador of Australia to Afghanistan was an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the Embassy of the Commonwealth of Australia to Afghanistan.

On 28 May 2021 the embassy was closed, immediately prior to the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and the office of ambassador became vacant with the Taliban capture of Kabul on 15 August 2021. Since the embassy's closure and the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Australian Interim Mission on Afghanistan in Doha, Qatar, headed by a Special Representative since September 2021, has the primary responsibility for Australia's position on and relations with Afghanistan.

Posting history[edit]

The establishment of diplomatic relations between Australia and the Kingdom of Afghanistan was announced on 16 December 1968 by the Minister for External Affairs, Paul Hasluck, with the High Commissioner to Pakistan based in Islamabad receiving non-resident accreditation.[1] The first Australian Ambassador to Afghanistan, Lew Border, formally presented his credentials to King Zahir Shah on 30 March 1969.[2] 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.[2] 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.[2]

Australia and Afghanistan re-established diplomatic representation in 2002, after a long hiatus during conflict in Afghanistan.[3] Between April 2002 and September 2006, Australia's High Commissioner to Pakistan was accredited as non-resident Ambassador to Afghanistan.[4] 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.[3] In November 2011, Prime Minister Julia Gillard formally opened a new dedicated embassy in the city.[5]

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 on 15 August 2021.[6][7] The office of ambassador fell vacant following the fall of Kabul on 15 August 2021 and relations with Afghanistan were suspended. In September 2021, the Australian Interim Mission on Afghanistan was established in Doha, Qatar, headed by a Special Representative.[8] The first Special Representative appointed was career diplomat, Daniel Sloper, who was the special envoy and head of the Australian crisis response team assisting in the evacuation of Kabul prior to and following its fall to Taliban forces on 15 August 2021.[9]

Heads of mission[edit]

Ambassadors[edit]

# Officeholder Residency Term start date Term end date Time in office Notes
1 Lew Border Islamabad, Pakistan 16 December 1968 (1968-12-16) May 24, 1970 (1970-05-24) 1 year, 5 months [10]
– John Starey (Chargé d'affaires) 24 May 1970 (1970-05-24) August 1970 (1970-08) 69 days [11]
2 Francis Hamilton Stuart August 1970 (1970-08) May 1973 (1973-05) 2 years, 9 months [12][13]
3 Arthur Morris May 1973 (1973-05) August 1975 (1975-08) 2 years, 3 months [14]
4 John Petherbridge August 1975 (1975-08) 27 December 1979 (1979-12-27) 4 years, 4 months [15]
Relations suspended
5 Howard Brown Islamabad, Pakistan April 2002 (2002-04) 16 July 2004 (2004-07-16) 2 years, 3 months [16]
6 Zorica McCarthy 16 July 2004 (2004-07-16) 9 August 2006 (2006-08-09) 2 years, 24 days [17]
7 Brett Hackett Kabul, Afghanistan 9 August 2006 (2006-08-09) 22 January 2008 (2008-01-22) 1 year, 166 days [3]
8 Martin Quinn 22 January 2008 (2008-01-22) 21 November 2009 (2009-11-21) 1 year, 303 days [18]
9 Paul Foley 21 November 2009 (2009-11-21) 10 August 2012 (2012-08-10) 2 years, 263 days [19]
10 Jon Philp 10 August 2012 (2012-08-10) 19 January 2015 (2015-01-19) 2 years, 162 days [20][21]
11 Matthew Anderson 19 January 2015 (2015-01-19) 21 July 2016 (2016-07-21) 1 year, 184 days [22]
12 Richard Feakes 21 July 2016 (2016-07-21) 16 October 2017 (2017-10-16) 1 year, 87 days [23][24]
13 Nicola Gordon-Smith 16 October 2017 (2017-10-16) 8 April 2019 (2019-04-08) 1 year, 174 days [25][26]
14 Geoffrey Tooth 8 April 2019 (2019-04-08) 19 March 2021 (2021-03-19) 1 year, 345 days [27]
15 Paul Wojciechowski 19 March 2021 (2021-03-19) 28 May 2021 (2021-05-28) 149 days [28]
Doha, Qatar 28 May 2021 (2021-05-28) 15 August 2021 (2021-08-15)
Relations suspended

Special Representatives[edit]

# Officeholder Residency Term start date Term end date Time in office Notes
1 Daniel Sloper Doha, Qatar 9 September 2021 (2021-09-09) 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) 265 days [29][8][9]
2 Glenn Miles 1 November 2022 (2022-11-01) present 531 days [30]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Appointment of Australian Ambassador to Afghanistan" (Media Release). Department of External Affairs. 16 December 1968. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Maley, William (September 2019). "Australia– Afghanistan relations Reflections on a half-century" (PDF). Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Downer, Alexander (9 August 2006). "Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to Afghanistan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  4. ^ Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Afghanistan country brief, Australian Government, archived from the original on 8 March 2015
  5. ^ Sara, Sally (7 November 2011). "Gillard makes surprise visit to Afghanistan". ABC News. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ Grattan, Michelle (25 May 2021). "Australian embassy in Afghanistan to close its doors as security situation worsens". The Conversation. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  8. ^ a b Morrison, Scott (9 September 2021). "Press Conference - Canberra, ACT" (Transcript). Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Mr Daniel Thomas SLOPER - Public Service Medal". AUSTRALIAN HONOURS SEARCH FACILITY. Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  10. ^ "Diplomatic relations established". The Canberra Times. ACT. 18 December 1968. p. 8 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ "Representation - Australian Representation Overseas". Current Notes on International Affairs. 41 (6). Department of External Affairs: 378. June 1970. Retrieved 28 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia (Trove).
  12. ^ "Diplomats posted". The Canberra Times. ACT. 29 May 1970. p. 7.
  13. ^ "The Australian Ambassador to Afghanistan". Current Notes on International Affairs. 41 (9): 515. September 1970. Retrieved 26 March 2022. Presented credentials 15 September 1970
  14. ^ "Enovy change". The Canberra Times. 1 May 1973. p. 3.
  15. ^ "Ambassador". The Canberra Times. 7 August 1975. p. 3.
  16. ^ Downer, Alexander (11 February 2000). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Pakistan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  17. ^ Downer, Alexander (16 July 2004). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Pakistan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  18. ^ Smith, Stephen (22 January 2008). "Diplomatic appointment - Ambassador to Afghanistan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 11 February 2014.
  19. ^ Smith, Stephen (21 November 2009). "Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to Afghanistan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 11 February 2014.
  20. ^ "New ambassador to Afghanistan named". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 9 August 2012. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
  21. ^ Carr, Bob (10 August 2012). "Ambassador to Afghanistan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 11 February 2014.
  22. ^ Bishop, Julie (19 January 2015). "Ambassador to Afghanistan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 8 March 2015.
  23. ^ Bishop, Julie (21 July 2016). "Ambassador to Afghanistan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016.
  24. ^ "New ambassador to Afghanistan". SBS. AAP. 21 July 2016. Archived from the original on 23 July 2016.
  25. ^ Bishop, Julie (16 October 2017). "Ambassador to Afghanistan" (Press release). Australian Government.
  26. ^ Payne, Marise (2019). "Alex Gallacher: Australian Ambassador inquiry". Hansard: Australian Senate. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  27. ^ Bishop, Julie (8 April 2019). "Ambassador to Afghanistan". DFAT.
  28. ^ Payne, Marise (19 March 2021). "Ambassador to Afghanistan". Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  29. ^ "Special Representative on Afghanistan - Mr Daniel Sloper". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  30. ^ "Special Representative on Afghanistan - Mr Glenn Miles". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Archived from the original on 3 December 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.

External links[edit]

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