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Arigato, Tokyo! Athletes praise Japan and Olympic organisers

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(Last Updated On: August 8, 2021)

The world’s greatest sporting event wrapped up on Sunday with another spectacular ceremony, despite the absence of fans.

The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020’s closing ceremony got underway from 3.30pm Kabul time and was scheduled to last about two hours.

Fans were not however the only ones missing in the stadium, but so were the majority of athletes who had already headed home after their events.

But after being delayed for more than a year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tokyo 2020 games certainly proved to be worth the wait and were a great success, with athletes producing spectacular performances as well as making friends with their counterparts from across the globe.

At the end of 16 days of competition, athletes gave thanks to Japan and Games organisers for the opportunity to compete on the biggest stage of all.

One German athlete, Isabell Werth said: “We are so happy that we can be here, that we can compete, that we have the Olympic Games. I think each country is really thankful for the Games, because then we are much more in the focus of all the world, and it helps the younger [horse] riders at home a lot, to get the motivation, to get the support.”

Another athlete, Kellie Harrington from Ireland, a boxer, said: “Thank you to the people of Japan for having us here. Without being here, it’d be impossible. Thank you all very much.”

Shot put athlete, Valerie Adams from New Zealand said: “It still felt like an Olympics. The atmosphere, the emotions, and the rush still felt like an Olympic Games. I think that goes to show how good the organising committee is.”

Rose Nathike, an athlete who was part of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team said: “I am so pleased to be here. I want to thank the government of Japan for welcoming the refugees. Thank you to the people of Japan for welcoming us.”

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Tripartite trade meeting held in Kabul to boost regional connectivity

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(Last Updated On: April 26, 2024)

A tripartite meeting between the delegations of Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan was held in Kabul with the aim of connecting North Asia to South Asia and reducing transit and transportation costs among these three countries, the Ministry of Trade and Commerce said in a statement.

In this meeting, an agreement was reached on the creation of a joint technical committee to continue the talks.

This tripartite meeting was held under the leadership of Nooruddin Azizi, the Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, Vice President of Turkmenistan and Srik Zhumangarin, the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan.

Earlier, a bilateral meeting was held between the delegation of the Islamic Emirate and Turkmenistan. The ministry of commerce said the participants of the meeting discussed the construction of a large joint logistics center in Torghondi, the trilateral transit agreement between the IEA, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan, the expansion of Afghanistan’s railway, solving issues related to Afghan transit and export goods, and a number of other commercial issues.

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No destructive groups including Daesh present in Afghanistan: Yaqub Mujahid

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(Last Updated On: April 26, 2024)

Acting Minister of National Defense Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid has said that no destructive groups including Daesh have physical presence in Afghanistan, adding the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) will not allow anyone to pose threat to any country in the region from the Afghan soil.

Mujahid made the remarks in a meeting with a delegation from Malaysia in Kabul on Thursday.

According to a statement released by the Ministry of Defense, Mujahid highlighted Malaysia’s “good treatment” of Afghan refugees and its long-standing relations with Afghanistan, and said that Malaysia is a powerful Islamic country and visits should increase.

He added that with the establishment of the Islamic Emirate, occupation and war ended in Afghanistan, and the country is fully secure.

Based on the statement, the Malaysian delegation called Afghanistan a friendly country and while emphasizing on comprehensive cooperation, it assured that what they have seen in Afghanistan will be shared with the authorities of their country.

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EU allocates 17 million euros to support Afghans on the move

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(Last Updated On: April 26, 2024)

The European Union signed an agreement worth 17 million euros with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to improve access to basic services, increased economic opportunities and protection for Afghans on the move and their host communities in Afghanistan.

The needs of women and girls are a particular focus of the programme, EU said in a statement released on Thursday.

The statement noted that from January 2023 until April 2024, over 1.5 million Afghans returned from Pakistan and Iran.

“I am deeply moved by the hardship returnees face when being deported to Afghanistan. In a country suffering from poverty and climate change, and in a city that just saw devastating earthquakes, this truly is a crisis within a crisis.”, said Peteris Ustubs, Director for the Middle East, Asia and Pacific of the European Commission’s Department for International Partnerships during the signing ceremony at the IOM transit centre in Herat.

Raffaella Iodice, EU Chargée d’Affaires a.i. to Afghanistan, added “The solidarity of the Afghan people towards their brothers and sisters is an inspiration. We must assure that communities hosting and helping new arrivals are supported. The partnership with IOM ensures access to essential services and provides protection for Afghan returnees and their host communities. As women and girls can be particularly affected, we make sure that all members of society can benefit”.

“IOM’s continued partnership with the EU has been critical in enabling our teams to reach hundreds of thousands of Afghan returnees and other vulnerable communities in the country”, said IOM Afghanistan Chief of Mission, Maria Moita. “Thanks to this renewed commitment, we will be able to focus on addressing the immense challenges in the areas of return and contribute to reintegration, social cohesion, and longer-term solutions for those communities.”

This additional contribution is part of a 5-year programme that is being implemented across Afghanistan and in four countries in the region. It builds on the EU’s previous support to IOM to improve the wellbeing of Afghans forced to return to the country, EU said.

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