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Concerns over slow implementation of Ghani-Abdullah agreement
Following the signing of the political agreement between President Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, no significant progress has been made in implementing the agreement.
Nearly a month has passed since the signing of the political agreement between President Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, but no fundamental work has been done to implement elements of the agreement.
Arg has so far nominated seven ministers for President Ghani’s share, while Abdullah has not yet nominated any. Also, he has not finalized appointments in the High Reconciliation Council which is chaired by Abdullah. All these have created concerns among politicians.
Abdullah’s associates underlined that fundamental work has begun in the High Council of National Reconciliation, and he will nominate his share of the cabinet within a few days.
“When the political agreement was signed between the two sides, people hoped that a reconciliation council would be formed as soon as possible, but neither the reconciliation council nor the cabinet had been completed,” said Shahzada Masood, a politician. “These two should be completed as soon as possible, so the Intra-Afghan talks, which we hope for, will take place in the coming weeks.”
On the other hand, giving the rank of marshals to General Dostum, Abdullah’s political partner, has not yet been officially granted by the president.
Associates of General Dostum say that the marshall rite will be held in Kabul in the next few days.
“Marshall Abdul Rashid Dostum, one of Afghanistan’s leaders and a member of the Security Council, will be in Kabul in the coming days for a special ceremony,” said Bashir Ahmad Tahianj, spokesman for the Afghan National Movement.
There are concerns about the lack of progress in government structures after the signing of a political agreement between Arg and Sapidar.
The presidential palace has not commented on the matter yet.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Finance, Mohammad Nasir Akhund, has travelled to Iran at the head of a delegation following an official invitation from Iran’s Minister of Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance said.
During the visit, Akhund is expected to meet with various Iranian officials to discuss bilateral economic, trade, customs and other related issues.
The visit will also include discussions on key topics for an upcoming meeting of the joint economic commission between Afghanistan and Iran.
Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, on Saturday inaugurated the rehabilitated 110-kilovolt (kV) power transmission line connecting Maimana and Andkhoy in Faryab province.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office for Economic Affairs, the completion of the project will provide around 60,000 consumers with a more stable and reliable electricity supply.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Baradar said the project would help meet local electricity needs, expand industrial activities and contribute to the region’s economic and social development.
He said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) had implemented several electricity generation and transmission projects in a relatively short period, reducing reliance on imported electricity and power outages while creating new opportunities for industrial growth.
Baradar also said several major electricity infrastructure projects would be implemented over the next year to ensure a sustainable power supply, adding that the country’s existing electricity capacity would increase several times.
Addressing Afghanistan’s security situation, Baradar said the country was currently experiencing a level of security that he claimed was unmatched in most countries. He added that foreign tourists and visitors had continued to travel to Afghanistan since the IEA returned to power, including to remote areas of the country.
He rejected security-related concerns raised by some countries over travel to Afghanistan, describing them as unfounded and politically motivated. He called on the international community to strengthen meaningful engagement with Afghanistan based on realities on the ground.
Baradar also invited domestic and foreign investors to invest in Afghanistan, saying a secure and suitable environment had been created for large- and medium-scale investments.
The UN refugee agency’s representative in Afghanistan has called on the international community to maintain their support for Afghanistan, warning that the return of more than 6.5 million Afghans over the past three years has placed significant pressure on the country.
Arafat Jamal, UNHCR Representative in Afghanistan, made the remarks during the eighth International Conference on Action with Women and Peace in Seoul, South Korea, where he highlighted the challenges facing returnees amid poverty, drought and climate-related disasters.
He said the returning population accounts for around 15 percent of Afghanistan’s total population, describing the influx as one of the world’s largest movements of people. He added that Afghanistan was struggling to absorb the large-scale returns due to its existing economic and humanitarian challenges.
Jamal also highlighted difficulties facing Afghan women, saying that the absence of war does not necessarily mean all citizens enjoy safety.
In a separate interview with The Korea Times during his visit to Seoul, Jamal said supporting refugees and vulnerable countries was not simply an act of charity but an investment in a safer and more stable international environment.
He stressed that Afghanistan’s strategic location, bordering seven countries including China, Pakistan and Iran, makes its stability a matter of wider international concern. Although the country is relatively calm at present, he cautioned that this situation should not be taken for granted without continued international support.
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