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, Afghanistan |
Zalmai Rassoul (born 11 May 1943) is an important Afghan politician. He served as the Foreign Minister of Afghanistan from 2010 to 2013. Before that, he was the National Security Advisor from 2002 to 2010.
In his different government jobs, Rassoul helped build Afghanistan's security. He also worked to bring countries together to support peace in Afghanistan. He helped improve cooperation and safety in the region. He also worked to rebuild important industries in the country. In 2014, he ran for president. Later, from 2020 to 2024, Rassoul was Afghanistan's Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland.
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Early Life and Education
Zalmai Rassoul was born on May 11, 1943, in Kabul, Afghanistan. He is related to Amānullāh Khān, who was the King of Afghanistan from 1919 to 1929.
He went to Lycée Esteqlal and was the top student when he graduated. After that, he received a scholarship to study at the Paris Medical School in France. He became a doctor in 1973.
Rassoul is from the Pashtun ethnic group. He can speak several languages fluently, including Pashto, Dari Persian, French, English, and Italian. He also knows some Arabic.
A Career in Public Service
Zalmai Rassoul has a lot of experience in diplomacy, which means working with other countries. He also has experience in international affairs and government. For many years, he worked hard for the rights of the Afghan people. He wanted them to live in peace and choose their own future through democratic processes.
In 1998, Rassoul became the Director of the Secretariat for Mohammad Zaher Shah. This was the former King of Afghanistan. In this role, he focused on bringing together an Emergency Loya Jirga. A Loya Jirga is a "Grand Assembly" or a big meeting of leaders. The King wanted this meeting to help end the long war in Afghanistan.
Under Rassoul's leadership, the Secretariat in Rome helped prepare for Afghanistan's future government. Before a big meeting called the Bonn Conference, Zahir Shah sent many groups to different countries. They went to other capital cities, Afghanistan's neighbors, and even inside Afghanistan. Their goal was to get support for the Emergency Loya Jirga.
Rassoul went with Hamid Karzai, who later became president, on these important trips. Rassoul was good for this job because he had worked closely with the Afghan resistance for a long time. In 1980, he started a monthly newspaper called "Afghan Reality." This newspaper helped tell the world about the difficult situation of the Afghan people.
Rassoul later attended the important Bonn Conference in December 2001. After this conference, he returned to Kabul. He helped start the Afghan Interim Administration, which was a temporary government.
In March 2002, President Hamid Karzai chose Rassoul to be the Minister of Civil Aviation. The Cabinet, which is a group of top government officials, approved him. As Minister, Rassoul helped restart Afghanistan's aviation sector. This was after many years of United Nations rules against the Taliban government. Rassoul also played a big part in getting Afghanistan back into important international aviation groups. These groups included the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Running for President in 2014
On October 5, 2013, Rassoul left his job as Foreign Minister. The next day, he officially announced that he would run for president in the 2014 Afghan presidential election. He did not win the election. His running mate, who would have been vice president, was Ahmad Zia Massoud.
Life in Exile
When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan again in 2021, Rassoul was the Afghan ambassador to the United Kingdom. The UK government did not officially recognize the Taliban as the new government. Because of this, Rassoul stayed in his role as ambassador. The Afghan embassy in London eventually closed on September 27, 2024. Rassoul said this happened after an "official request" from the UK's Foreign Office. However, the UK government said the decision to close the embassy was made by the "State of Afghanistan."
See also
- Cabinet of Ministers
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Afghanistan)
- Politics of Afghanistan
