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Blinken visits Kabul in a show of support after troop withdrawal announcement

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US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, flew into Kabul on Thursday where he met with President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), in a show of support following the announcement Wednesday of the total withdrawal of all foreign troops by September.

On Wednesday night US President Joe Biden and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced all troops will be pulled out of Afghanistan by September 11. The drawdown will however start on May 1.

According to the Presidential Palace (ARG), Blinken told Ghani on Wednesday in a meeting: “The withdrawal of our troops from Afghanistan will not mean the weakening of strategic relations between the two countries.”

“The United States will honor its commitments to the government and people of Afghanistan,” he said.

According to ARG, Blinken said the United States would continue its diplomatic and humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and to Afghan forces and will continue its efforts to facilitate the Afghan peace process.

During the meeting with Abdullah, Blinken said: “We have a partnership that is changing but enduring” and “as the [US] president says, we have a new chapter but it’s a new chapter that we’re writing together.”

On Wednesday night Biden said: “It is time to end America’s longest war. It is time for American troops to come home from Afghanistan.”

He said the US will begin its withdrawal on May 1 and that it will not be a “hasty rush to the exit.”

He also stated that if the Taliban attacks, the US will defend itself and partners with “all the tools at our disposal.”

The announcement was not however welcomed by the Taliban who issued a veiled threat to the US and NATO in a statement on Thursday.

The group said the US decision to pull out of Afghanistan starting May 1 is in violation of the agreement signed between the two parties in Doha last year. The Taliban stated it “is a clear violation of the Doha Agreement and non-compliance with its commitments.”

Because of the extended stay in Afghanistan, the Taliban said it would “take every necessary countermeasure, hence the American side will be held responsible for all future consequences.”

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Continued aid to Afghanistan vital for regional security: Kazakh president

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Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has emphasized the continuation of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, stating that the ongoing provision of such aid plays an important role in ensuring regional security.

Speaking at the international conference “Peace and Trust” in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, Tokayev described addressing complex humanitarian challenges and the reconstruction of Afghanistan as a necessity.

“To ensure regional security, we consider it essential to continue providing assistance to Afghanistan, including by strengthening international efforts to address complex humanitarian issues and the reconstruction of this country. Kazakhstan remains committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan through humanitarian aid, educational projects, trade development, and food security initiatives,” he said.

Meanwhile, experts believe that sustainable improvement of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan requires broad cooperation from the international community and support for the country’s economic development.

“Investment can be defined as one of the fundamental drivers of the economic cycle, and whenever Afghan traders do not take their money out of the country and instead invest domestically, it naturally leads to greater growth and dynamism in Afghanistan’s economy,” said Abdul Zahoor Modabber, an economic analyst.

As the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continues, reports by international relief organizations indicate that millions of citizens of the country are in urgent need of food, health, and livelihood assistance.
The reduction in funding for aid organizations, the impacts of climate change, and the return of migrants have increased concerns about a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country.

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Islamic Emirate declines to attend Tehran meeting on Afghanistan

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The Islamic Emirate has announced that it will not participate in the upcoming meeting of special envoys of regional countries on Afghanistan, scheduled to be held in Tehran, despite having received an invitation.

In a statement, Zia Ahmad Takal, Head of Information and Public Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the Islamic Emirate has maintained continuous and active engagement with all regional countries through various organizations, regional formats, and bilateral mechanisms, achieving notable progress in promoting mutual understanding and regional cooperation.

The statement added that Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes regional cooperation should be advanced by strengthening existing mechanisms and formats within the region.

Tehran is set to host the meeting next week, with special envoys from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Russia expected to attend.

 
 
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Sirajuddin Haqqani: A government that intimidates its people is not a true government

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Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, Minister of Interior of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said during a visit to Khost province on Friday that any government which rules through fear cannot be considered a true government.

“A government is one that is loved by its people, one that serves them with respect and compassion, and from whose behavior people learn ethics and sincerity,” he said.

Haqqani also stressed that Afghans who opposed the Islamic Emirate in the past should be tolerated and treated in a way that helps eliminate hostility and animosity, paving the way for national cohesion.

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