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Taliban in Contact with Government to Resume Peace Talks: Presidency
Afghan presidency says the Taliban is in constant contact with the government to resume peace talks, stresses that the contacts were not being made through the group’s political office in Qatar.
The Taliban has rejected any peace negotiation in the past, as the group had stated that seeking a peace deal with the current government would be tantamount to a surrender to the “enemy” and contrary to Islamic faith.
The Afghan Presidential Spokesman, however, said that recently they have received frequent contacts from the Taliban, signals readiness to begin peace talks with the government.
“Our main focus is on those [Taliban] individuals who are in battle with [ the security forces] that could change the deal in military and conflict zone ” said Shah Hussain Murtazawi.
He stated the contacts were not being made through Taliban’s political office in Qatar and the presidency would not talk via Qatar office. “The offices which are located outside of Afghanistan are ineffective,” he said.
Qatar office has been a channel for dialogue with the Taliban for more than six years. Days ago the U.K.’s Guardian newspaper reported the U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to close the office there which has followed strong reaction of the group.
In the meantime, the Afghan High Peace Council (HPC) said that the council has resumed peace negotiation with the Taliban without elaborating on the issue.
“Contacts are underway in a bid to resume peace talks at different levels”, said Sayed Aminuddin Muzafari, a Spokesman for HPC.
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More needs to be done to boost local industry, says Kabir
The deputy prime minister for policy, Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, met with Nooruddin Azizi, Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry, at Sapidar Palace on Tuesday and discussed issues around the quality of domestic products and the need to grow and develop the industrial sector.
Azizi said that good trade relations with neighboring countries has resulted in stable prices of goods in the country.
He said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry works closely with the private sector. As a result, the private sector functions in a befitting manner and the Islamic Emirate has provided necessary facilities.
Azizi said that based on the Islamic Emirate’s good economic policies, there has been a significant development in the import/export sector in the country.
Kabir in turn voiced appreciation for efforts by the leadership of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and said: “The unprecedented efforts of the IEA’s administrations and the stability of the Afghan currency caused the price of food ingredients to remain in the right state and our people also be able to buy essential materials.”
He emphasized the need to work for a balance in trade with neighboring countries, and said more efforts were needed to improve the quality of domestic products and to grow the sector.
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Russia and Tajikistan hold joint military drills along Afghanistan border
Russia and Tajikistan conducted a joint four-day military exercise along the border with Afghanistan in order to be prepared for any “potential threats”, Tajik media reported this week.
Russian military personnel from the 201st military base in Tajikistan participated in this exercise. Reports stated military personnel practiced various combat tactics, especially tactics to counter terrorist groups that illegally enter Tajikistan.
This comes amid repeated concerns expressed by Afghanistan’s neighbors about what they claim are terrorist threats originating from Afghanistan.
The Islamic Emirate has not yet commented on the drills but has repeatedly denied the presence of terrorist groups in the country. The IEA has also continuously said no militant group will be allowed to threaten another country from Afghanistan.
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Media Violation Commission bans two TV channels
The Media Violations Commission has ordered Noor and Barya TV channels to stop broadcasting and to appear in court, state-run Bakhtar News Agency reported on Tuesday.
ّIt is said that the decision against the channels was taken for “not observing the principles of journalism.”
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