Latest News
Afghanistan wins approval to join WTO
Afghanistan has won formal approval to join the World Trade Organisation in a move the U.S.-backed government hopes will help lift its war-shattered economy and create jobs in one of the world’s poorest countries.
Afghanistan has until June 30 to ratify the agreement, the final step before becoming a full member of the organization that underpins the global system of international trade.
“Trade-led growth will create new economic opportunities and jobs, especially for women; it will reduce poverty, and increase prosperity,” said Afghanistan’s Deputy Chief Executive Mohammad Khan Rahmani, in a speech at a WTO meeting in Nairobi where the agreement was passed.
“It will certainly contribute in a major way to dramatically reduce extremism and achieve regional peace and security,” he said.
Coming after the launch of the TAPI gas pipeline linking Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, the WTO deal is the second big economic agreement for the government this week but the obstacles to growth remain daunting.
Decades of war have destroyed much of Afghanistan’s basic infrastructure and fostered a climate of insecurity and corruption that has put investors to flight and forced millions of Afghans to become refugees.
Once a major horticultural exporter that accounted for 10 percent of the world’s dried fruit market in the 1970s, Afghanistan’s import-dependent economy, kept afloat by billions of dollars in foreign aid, is among the world’s least developed.
The World Bank’s 2015 Doing Business report, which measures how easy it is for companies to operate, puts it at 183 out of 189 countries and growth last year was just 1.3 percent, far too slow to provide enough jobs for its fast-growing population.
Aid donors are putting much effort into re-establishing the agricultural sector and developing products like almonds, raisins and pistachios as well as traditional export pillars such as woolen carpets.
The government has also pledged an ambitious series of reforms to revive the economy, fight corruption and attract investment.
But the World Bank warned in a report from October that the government’s reform efforts would take time to have an impact and it was still unclear whether they would mitigate the worsening security climate.
(Reuters)
Following a two-day official visit to Pakistan, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a joint statement emphasizing the need to further expand commercial and economic cooperation and transform the common border of the two countries from a “border of peace” to “border of prosperity”.
The two leaders also strongly condemned aggressions and crimes of Israel in Gaza, and demanded an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, as well as unimpeded humanitarian access to the besieged people of Gaza.
Numerous other issues were also discussed but on the topic of Afghanistan, they jointly declared their commitment to the development of Afghanistan as a peaceful, united, independent country free from the threats of terrorism and drug trafficking.
According to the statement the two countries pointed out that the existence of terrorist organizations in Afghanistan is a serious threat to the security of the region and the world.
The two sides stressed their desire to strengthen cooperation in the field of fighting terrorism and ensuring security and creating a united front against terrorism.
They also discussed the importance of coordinating regional and international efforts to ensure security and stability in the region.
“While respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, the two sides recognized that increasing participation of all strata of Afghans in basic decision-making will lead to the strengthening of peace and stability in this country,” the statement read.
The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations (MoRR) says over 1,000 Afghan migrants were forcibly returned from Pakistan on Tuesday through Spin Boldak border crossing in Kandahar province, the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry stated that based on information provided by the Spin Boldak Kandahar border command, these returnees comprised 191 families, totalling 998 people.
In addition, three migrants released from Pakistani prisons were also returned, according to the statement.
The statement added that after registering the returnees, the refugees were referred to the offices of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the World Food Program (WFP) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Each family received 10,000 afghanis – paid to them by the Islamic Emirate.
In another statement, the ministry said that 2,783 migrants living in Iran voluntarily and forcibly returned to the country during this week.
Hamidullah Akhundzadeh, acting Minister of Transport and Aviation, headed a delegation to Uzbekistan for a ‘Six-Party Corridor’ meeting that included representatives from Afghanistan, Russia, Belarus, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
On the sidelines of this meeting the Afghanistan delegation discussed trade through the corridor with the other five relevant countries.
According to the ministry of transport and aviation, Akhundzadeh met with the deputy ministers of transport of Russia and Belarus.
He also discussed ways to expand transit between Afghanistan and Russia; and Afghanistan and Belarus, and provide the necessary facilities to achieve this.
The ministry added that the acting minister had a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Transport and the Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan on Afghanistan and discussed the expansion of road transport between the two countries.
Tahawol: Calls for handing over Afghanistan’s seat to IEA discussed
Iran, Pakistan leaders raise concerns over ‘terrorist groups’ in Afghanistan
Over 1,000 Afghan refugees forced out of Pakistan in one day
Malaysian delegation trip to Kabul discussed
Afghanistan’s minister of transport and aviation attends regional meeting in Uzbekistan
Dead body of Quran-burner found in Norway
ATN secures rights to produce, broadcast second season of KPL
UN expert says Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, calls for arms embargo
IPL: RCB register first win against Punjab Kings
Attackers target Pakistani naval airbase in Baluchistan
Tahawol: Calls for handing over Afghanistan’s seat to IEA discussed
Malaysian delegation trip to Kabul discussed
Tahawol: US State Dept’s criticism of human rights violations in Afghanistan discussed
Saar: Afghanistan’s economic situation and WFP’s concerns discussed
Tahawol: Muttaqi Meets Iran Envoy Qomi
-
Sport4 days agoAfghanistan Champions League kicks off with grand opening ceremony
-
Regional5 days agoIran’s foreign minister downplays drone attack, says Tehran investigating
-
Latest News4 days agoPakistan’s frontiers minister stresses ‘dignified’ return of Afghan refugees
-
Business5 days agoAfghanistan’s economic prospects are bleak: World Bank
-
Latest News4 days agoMore than 800 Afghan refugees deported from Pakistan in two days
-
Regional2 days agoIranian president lands in Pakistan for three-day visit to mend ties
-
Climate Change3 days agoMassive river flooding expected in China, threatening millions
-
Latest News4 days agoChinese keen to invest in Panjshir-Kabul water conduit project