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Afghan interpreters with Australian visas unable to get to safety
The Australian government has granted 90 visas since the beginning of May to Afghans who worked alongside Australian forces but the interpreters say they have been unable to leave Afghanistan due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The Guardian Australia reported that while officials have offered to help the Afghans get on commercial flights to Australia in the near future, this has not been possible for many.
Speaking from Kabul on Tuesday, one interpreter said that without access to military flights, their situation would not change.
“If they can’t relocate us, what is the point of having a visa?” the man said. He was among 41 interpreters who wrote to the government twice earlier this year pleading for urgent help.
Last month Australia suddenly closed its Kabul embassy, saying it could not guarantee the security of staff in the light of the impending withdrawal of Australian troops by 11 September.
The Guardian reported that on Tuesday another interpreter said his family was awaiting passports, but without access to the embassy and its staff he had no certainty of being able to leave.
Another former translator has been sent into hiding after a letter stamped and signed by the Taliban was taped to his front gate, ABC reported.
Earlier on Tuesday Scott Morrison told reporters the government was “working urgently and steadfastly” to resolve the matter.
“This is not the first time that we have had to support in these circumstances, bringing people to Australia under the appropriate visa arrangements for humanitarian visas that are in place,” the prime minister said.
“We have done this before safely. And we will be able to do it again … We are very aware of it. And we are working urgently and steadfastly and patiently to ensure that we do this in the appropriate way as we have done on earlier occasions. I was the minister responsible at the time last time we were doing this when I was in immigration, so I’m very well aware of the sensitivities and the need to move swiftly.”
In March 2020, Australia closed its borders to non-nationals and non-residents due to the Coronavirus pandemic and has since been allowing only limited international arrivals, mainly citizens returning from abroad.
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Iran’s envoy meets UNAMA deputy, stresses cooperation with Afghanistan
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
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
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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