Suhail Shaheen, Acting Head of the Afghan Embassy in Qatar, has called on France to reopen its embassy in Kabul.

According to the embassy the request was made during a meeting between Shaheen and Jean-Marie Chau, the French Charge d’Affaires for Afghanistan and that the two sides discussed a range of issues including the political situation, bilateral relations, humanitarian assistance, and cooperation in preserving Afghanistan’s cultural heritage.

Shaheen emphasized to the French diplomat that “it would be better for France to reactivate its political presence in Kabul.”

France closed its embassy in Kabul following the return of the Islamic Emirate to power in August 2021.

The Ministry of Justice said on Sunday that the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate has issued a decree to establish a new ministry under the name of usurped land reclamation.

Currently, the work of reclamation of usurped land is being carried out by a commission.

The commission said in a press conference that 49.7 million acres of usurped land have been identified across the country, of which 3.9 million acres have been reclaimed.

Officials of the commission stated that 36 residential townships in Kabul have been assessed and decisions have been issued on 13 of them.

According to officials, people who have purchased land in illegal townships have all their rights reserved with the commission and only township owners are considered as usurpers.

They also stated that 370,000 acres of land have been allocated for the Kabul New City project and that currently, four companies are involved in this project.

Acting Minister of Interior Sirajuddin Haqqani met with China’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, and Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special envoy, to discuss regional cooperation and diplomatic engagement.

According to a statement released by the Ministry of Interior on Sunday, the meeting aimed to follow up on the outcomes of the fifth trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Afghanistan, China, and Pakistan. The discussions also focused on preparations for the upcoming sixth round of talks and on deepening political and economic cooperation among the three nations.

During the meeting, Haqqani emphasized the Islamic Emirate’s commitment to fostering strong regional ties. He called for regional understanding and cooperation, especially in political and economic fields, based on mutual respect.

The Chinese and Pakistani diplomats reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to strengthening relations with Afghanistan. They also agreed that the sixth meeting of foreign ministers from the three nations will be held in Kabul.