Prime Minister Vasile Tofan has described the approval of a visit to the Republic of Moldova by a delegation from Afghanistan as “embarrassing and unacceptable,” following public controversy over the arrival of representatives linked to the Taliban-controlled administration.
According to the Prime Minister, while the required administrative procedures were formally followed, the case lacked the necessary political and diplomatic assessment.
“The Republic of Moldova does not recognize the Taliban government. Approving this visit was an error of judgment and institutional coordination,” Tofan said.
The Prime Minister explained that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry submitted a request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Inspectorate for Migration, and the Border Police.
The delegation members were not listed under any international sanctions regime, the General Inspectorate for Migration issued a positive opinion, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs granted entry visas. Consultation with the Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) was not mandatory under the existing procedure, and the agency was therefore not involved.
“The procedure was formally followed, but without the necessary political and diplomatic assessment. An obviously sensitive case was treated as a routine administrative file. The result was a wrong decision,” the Prime Minister stated.
Tofan stressed that state institutions must evaluate not only whether procedures have been followed, but also the broader context and potential consequences of their decisions.
“State mechanisms cannot be reduced to simply ticking procedural boxes. Institutions must understand the context, the risks, and the consequences of the decisions they make.
I understand the public pressure for resignations. The easy path is to find a scapegoat and declare the matter closed. The responsible path is to clearly establish accountability and correct the mechanism that allowed this situation by introducing clearer rules and mandatory political and diplomatic coordination.
Everyone responsible for making decisions in public institutions must understand their personal responsibility when signing a document or approving a decision. We are not managing paperwork—we are governing a country, and we must be more careful when making decisions.”
The Prime Minister announced that the mechanism which allowed the situation to occur will be revised, including the procedure for consulting the Security and Intelligence Service (SIS), so that similar cases will require mandatory coordination at the political and diplomatic level.
The controversy began after Afghanistan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, operating under Taliban control, announced on August 3 that a delegation led by Deputy Minister Sadr Azam Osmani would pay an official visit to the Republic of Moldova until August 7.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs later clarified that the delegation had received visas in connection with discussions on potential humanitarian exports of agricultural products. The ministry reiterated that Moldova does not recognize the Taliban government and emphasized that the delegation would not hold bilateral meetings or any other official contacts with Moldovan authorities.