KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The UK government has named Richard Stephen Lindsay as its new special envoy for Afghanistan, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) announced on Friday.
In a press release, the FCDO announced that Mr. Lindsay will officially take up his appointment during June 2025.
Currently, he serves as the Deputy Director for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the FCDO, a position he has held since 2022. His previous experience includes working with the Foreign Office’s political and military team in the Afghanistan Emergency Unit back in 2001.
Lindsay succeeds Andrew McCoubrey, who previously served as the UK’s special representative for both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Robert Chatterton Dickson has been acting as the UK’s Chargé d’Affaires for Afghanistan since July 2023.
The UK, like other Western countries, closed its embassy in Kabul after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Its diplomatic mission is now based in Doha, Qatar.
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan embassy in London—previously run by a diplomat appointed by the former Afghan government—officially ceased operations in September 2024. Its premises were handed over to the UK government.
No country has formally recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. However, several nations have maintained diplomatic relations at the Chargé d’Affaires level.
China, the UAE, and Uzbekistan have accepted Taliban-appointed ambassadors and sent their own to Kabul. More recently, Pakistan has announced plans to upgrade ties by appointing an ambassador, a move the Taliban says it will reciprocate.
