Zalmai Rassoul facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Zalmai Rassoul
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| Ambassador of Afghanistan to the United Kingdom and Ireland in-exile | |
| In office 2020–2024 |
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| President | Ashraf Ghani (until 2021) |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 10 January 2010 – 5 October 2013 |
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| President | Hamid Karzai |
| Preceded by | Rangin Dadfar Spanta |
| Succeeded by | Zarar Ahmad Osmani |
| National Security Advisor | |
| In office June 2002 – January 2010 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 May 1943 Kabul, Kingdom of Afghanistan |
Zalmai Rassoul (Pashto: زلمی رسول; born on May 11, 1943) is a politician from Afghanistan. He was the Foreign Minister of Afghanistan from January 2010 to October 2013. Before that, he was the National Security Advisor from June 2002 to January 2010. In these important jobs, Rassoul helped build Afghanistan's security, brought countries together to support peace, and improved cooperation with neighboring countries. He also helped rebuild important industries in Afghanistan. He ran for president in the 2014 presidential election. Later, from 2020 to 2024, Rassoul served as Afghanistan's Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland.
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About Zalmai Rassoul
His Early Life and Education
Zalmai Rassoul was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 11, 1943. He is the nephew of Amānullāh Khān, who was the King of Afghanistan from 1919 to 1929. Rassoul went to Lycée Esteqlal and was the top student in his class. He then received a scholarship to study at the Paris Medical School in France. He earned his degree as a medical doctor in 1973.
He is from the Pashtun group, specifically from the Barakzai tribe. He can speak many languages, including Pashto, Dari Persian, French, English, and Italian. He also knows some Arabic.
Zalmai Rassoul has written many articles for medical journals in Europe and America. He is also a member of a group for kidney doctors called the American Society of Nephrology.
His Work in Government
Zalmai Rassoul has a lot of experience working with other countries and helping to run his own government. For many years, he worked hard to help the people of Afghanistan live in peace. He wanted them to be able to choose their own future through fair and democratic ways.
In 1998, Rassoul worked for the former King of Afghanistan, Mohammad Zaher Shah. In this role, he focused on bringing together a special meeting called the Emergency Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly). The King hoped this meeting would help find a peaceful solution to the long war in Afghanistan.
Rassoul's office in Rome was very important for Afghanistan's future political changes. Before a big meeting called the Bonn Conference, King Zahir Shah sent many groups to different countries. These groups, including one with Rassoul, worked to get support for the Emergency Loya Jirga.
Rassoul also went with President Hamid Karzai on these trips. Rassoul was a good choice for this work because he had close ties with Afghan resistance groups. In 1980, he started a monthly magazine called "Afghan Reality." This magazine helped share information about the struggles of the Afghan people with the rest of the world.
Later, Rassoul was a delegate at the important Bonn Conference in December 2001. After this conference, he went back to Kabul to help start the new Afghan Interim Administration.
In March 2002, President Hamid Karzai chose Rassoul to be the Minister of Civil Aviation. The government approved his nomination. Under his leadership, Afghanistan's aviation (air travel) sector was rebuilt. It had been shut down for many years because of United Nations rules against the Taliban. Rassoul played a key role in getting Afghanistan back into important international aviation groups. These included the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Presidential Election in 2014
On October 5, 2013, Rassoul stepped down from his job as Foreign Minister. The next day, October 6, he officially announced he would run for president in the 2014 Afghan presidential election. He ran with Ahmad Zia Massoud as his running mate. However, he did not win the election.
Time in Exile
Zalmai Rassoul was Afghanistan's ambassador to the United Kingdom when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan again in 2021. Since the UK government did not officially recognize the Taliban, Rassoul stayed in his role as ambassador. The Afghan embassy in London closed on September 27, 2024. Rassoul said this happened after an "official request" from the UK's Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. However, the FCO stated that the decision to close the embassy was made by the "State of Afghanistan."
See also
In Spanish: Zalmai Rassoul para niños
- Cabinet of Ministers
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Afghanistan)
- Politics of Afghanistan
