Dr Zalmai Rassoul

DR ZALMAI RASSOUL IS A RENOWNED STATESMAN WITH VAST EXPERIENCE IN DIPLOMACY, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, GOVERNANCE, AND CONSENSUS BUILDING. FROM BEING NOMINATED AS THE MINISTER OF CIVIL AVIATION OF AFGHANISTAN, FORMING THE COUNTRY'S FIRST NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL, TO SERVING AS THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TO BECOMING A CANDIDATE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN 2014. DR RASSOUL HAS BEEN INTENSELY ACTIVE IN THE POLITICAL STRUGGLE FOR THE RIGHTS OF THE AFGHAN PEOPLE TO LIVE IN PEACE AND HARMONY.

POLITICAL CAREER

Dr Zalmai Rassoul began his political career in 1984 when he was serving as the Director of Secretariat of HM Mohammad Zaher Shah – the former King of Afghanistan and devoted his early days to the convening of an emergency Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly).

PROFESSIONAL CAREER

After attending the prestigious French-language Lycée Esteqlal high school in Kabul . Dr Rassoul travelled to France on a scholarship and received his M.D. at the Paris Medical University. Between 1976 - 1984 he worked at the Necker Hospital, Paris and Armed Force Hospital, Riyadh.

GOVERNANCE & LEADERSHIP

Preceding his service in the Afghan government, Dr. Rassoul served as a delegate to the historic December 2001 Bonn Conference. Following the Conference, he returned to Kabul to participate in the inauguration of the Afghan Interim Administration.

Presidential Candidate

Afghanistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs

As the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Zalmai Rassoul played an instrumental role in reshaping, strengthening, and expanding Afghanistan’s bilateral relations with countries at the regional, global and multilateral level. Under his leadership, significant progress was made towards promoting regional cooperation with Afghanistan’s neighbours and through multilateral agencies. As such, within his vision, the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process was launched in 2011, as one of the key Afghan-led multi-stakeholder platforms for sincere and results-oriented regional cooperation, partnership, and consensus building. Furthermore, recognizing the urgency of multilateral cooperation in Afghanistan’s critical juncture, he prioritized the drive to revitalize the country’s foreign relations and membership with international organizations.

National Security Advisor to the President of Afghanistan

Dr Zalmai Rassoul served as the National Security Advisor of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan since June 2002. While being in office, Dr Rassoul brought forth constructive gains in equilibrating pursuits of the Afghan security institutions, in synchronization with Afghanistan’s foreign policy, optimizing a whole-of-government apparatus. In that role, he closely monitored and operationalized directions on the establishment of the Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police and Counter-Narcotics Office. Moreover, among an array of his responsibilities included conducting National Threat Assessments, developing and institutionalizing the National Security Policy.

Director of Secretariat to His Majesty King Zahir Shah

In 1984, Dr Zalmai Rassoul was appointed as the Director of Secretariat of His Majesty Mohammad Zaher Shah – the former King of Afghanistan, who at the time was living in exile in Rome. Plighted by the on-going armed conflict and loss of innocent lives at home, he devoted his full attention to the convening of an Emergency Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly) – an initiative by the former King which aimed at achieving a political settlement to end the decades-long war in the country. His unwavering efforts at the Secretariat in Rome paved the way for the future political transition of Afghanistan. He has been deeply active for several decades in the political struggle for the rights of the Afghan people to live in peace, and for their self-determination to decide their future in accordance with their free will through democratic processes.

Decorations