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Australia to close Kabul embassy ahead of foreign troops withdrawal

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Australia will close its embassy in Afghanistan within days as international troops have started to leave the country, ABC news reported.

According to the report the embassy has been open since 2006.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne said they hoped the closure would be temporary, and that Australia could reopen an embassy in the future.

"In light of the imminent international military withdrawal from Afghanistan, Australia will, as an interim measure revert to the model of visiting accreditation for our diplomatic representation to Afghanistan, which we used from the opening of diplomatic relations in 1969 until 2006," the pair said in a joint statement.

Prime Minister Morrison and Senator Payne said the embassy building would close on May 28, but that officials would visit Afghanistan regularly from a "residential post" elsewhere in the region, ABC said.

"It is Australia's expectation that this measure will be temporary and that we will resume a permanent presence in Kabul once circumstances permit," Morrison said on Tuesday.

"This form of diplomatic representation is common practice around the world. It does not alter our commitment to Afghanistan or its people," Morrison added.

Quoted by ABC, Morrison said the departure of Australian and allied forces over the next few months brought with it an increasingly uncertain security environment.

"The government has been advised that security arrangements could not be provided to support our ongoing diplomatic presence," he said.

According to ABC last month, Morrison announced the 80 remaining Australian troops in Afghanistan would be withdrawn in line with the withdrawal of US troops as announced by President Joe Biden.

Australia has around 80 troops in Afghanistan who will leave the country by September.

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Iran’s envoy meets UNAMA deputy, stresses cooperation with Afghanistan

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Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran's ambassador and special representative for Afghanistan met late Thursday with Georgette Gagnon, UNAMA’s deputy special political envoy for Kabul and they stressed the increase of cooperation with Afghanistan, the embassy said in a statement.

In this meeting, Qomi told Gagnon that Iran would support any initiative taken by the international community for Afghanistan.

In the meeting of Georgette Gagnon with Mr. Kazemi, the issue of narcotics and the presence of the private sector in Afghanistan were discussed, and Iran supports any constructive initiative of the international community for Afghanistan,” according to the statement.

Experts, meanwhile, believe the solutions of the United Nations to cooperate with Afghanistan's neighboring countries in consolidating stability and security can solve key issues such as terrorism and immigration.

Some experts consider strengthening Iran's partnership and cooperation with the UN for greater stability in Afghanistan is important and necessary.

However, Iran has not yet recognized the caretaker government of Afghanistan and has repeatedly emphasized the establishment of a comprehensive government in the country.

Over the past three years, Iran has established good relations with the Islamic Emirate, and trade between the two countries has increased.

Meanwhile, Tehran has previously opposed the appointment of a special representative for Afghanistan by the United Nations.

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Ten people killed in Baghlan attack

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Ten people were killed by unknown individuals in Afghanistan’s northern Baghlan province on Thursday night, police said on Friday.

The incident happened as the victims were doing Zikr at a mosque in Shahr-e-Kuhna of Nahrin district, police said in a statement.

The statement said that they used to regularly go to mosques and monasteries at night after returning from work.

Abdul Ghayoor Khadim, a provincial police official, said that several people were arrested in connection with the incident, adding that an investigation was launched.

 

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Chinese, Turkmen officials meet to discuss Afghanistan

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Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Serdar Muhammetdurdiyev on Thursday met with Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan announced.

During the meeting, the sides discussed priority vectors of strategic interstate cooperation built on a long-term, mutually beneficial basis, as well as exchanged views on the implementation of previously reached agreements.

It was noted that personal contacts between the leaders of the two countries play a key role in intensifying the interstate dialogue, which give a strong impulse to further development and expansion of Turkmen-Chinese ties.

It was emphasized that Turkmenistan considers multilateral international platforms for maintaining stability in Afghanistan as an important factor in promoting sustainable improvement of socio-economic state of the neighboring country. The sides exchanged views on the preparations to the 5th meeting of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan's Neighboring States to be held in Turkmenistan.

The interlocutors reaffirmed that Turkmenistan and China will continue to provide all-round support for the economic restoration of Afghanistan.

 
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