The Kabul Tribune (KT)— Italian diplomat Nicola Bellomo has taken up his new role as chargé d’affaires of the European Union delegation in Afghanistan, replacing Veronika Boskovic Pohar, who had served in the position since September 2024.
Bellomo announced his arrival in a post on X, saying he was beginning the assignment with “great pride” in representing the European Union’s interests and values in Afghanistan.
“I embark on this new assignment with the same enthusiasm as ever and great pride in representing the interests and values of the European Union in Afghanistan,” Bellomo said.
The European External Action Service, the EU’s diplomatic service, announced Bellomo’s appointment in June, identifying him as the incoming chargé d’affaires ad interim in Afghanistan. At the time, he was serving as head of the EEAS division for Pan-African Affairs. He previously served as the EU ambassador to Rwanda.
Bellomo succeeds Boskovic Pohar, a Slovenian diplomat who was nominated to lead the EU delegation in Afghanistan in April 2024 and took up the role of chargé d’affaires that September.
The leadership change comes as the European Union continues to maintain a diplomatic presence in Afghanistan while not recognizing the Taliban as the country’s government. The EU has continued engagement on humanitarian and development issues and other areas of mutual concern.
The EU remains a major international donor to Afghanistan. In recent weeks, it has announced new funding for programs focused on economic resilience, returnees, agriculture and climate adaptation.
The bloc and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization recently launched a 5 million-euro initiative aimed at helping Afghan farmers and agribusinesses improve market access, generate more reliable incomes and strengthen their resilience to climate and economic shocks.
