BRIEF BIOGRAPHY

Ambassador Mohammad Asif Rahimi currently serves in The Hague as Afghanistan’s envoy to the Netherlands. Born in Kabul in 1959, he holds a bachelor’s degree and completed postgraduate studies in Public Administration and Rehabilitation Development at the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 1989.

Mr. Rahimi has over three decades of experience in governance, rural development, and humanitarian aid. He worked with CARE International in Afghanistan and later with CARE Canada as South Asia Regional Manager. In 2005, he returned to Afghanistan to lead the National Solidarity Program under the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD), later serving as Deputy Minister.

He identified major service gaps in rural power and economic development, initiating programs like the National Energy for Rural Development (ERDA) and the Afghanistan Rural Enterprise Development Program (AREDP). In 2008, he was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock, where he led critical reforms, improved service delivery, and developed National Priority Programs targeting natural resources and rural job creation.

Mr. Rahimi headed the Agriculture and Rural Development Cluster and chaired the 2013 FAO Conference in Rome. He received commendations from the Afghan Parliament for his leadership. He also established the Afghanistan Land Authority (ARAZI) and the Agricultural Development Fund (ADF) to address land and credit access issues.

From 2015 to 2018, he served as Governor of Herat Province. In 2019, he supported democratic processes and contributed to peace dialogue efforts. In 2020, he was appointed Ambassador to the Netherlands.