Afghan embassy in Tokyo to effectively close early next year

The Embassy of Afghanistan in Tokyo has announced that it will suspend operations early next year. The embassy said in a statement on Friday that the decision comes after consultations initiated by Japan's Foreign Ministry. It added that all embassy services, including political, economic, cultural and consular activities, will be suspended "after January 31" until further notice.

The statement does not disclose specific reasons for the decision. The embassy has continued operating as the mission of the previous Afghan administration that was in office before the Taliban regained power four years ago. The Taliban's foreign ministry has told that the interim government is not involved in the decision to suspend the embassy's operations.