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EU envoy hopes dialogue among Afghans takes place inside the country

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The European Union’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, has expressed hope that dialogue among Afghans will take place inside their country.

“I would hope that dialogue can take place inside their country. I don’t think there is a need to exclude Afghans from outside, but I think my experience is that to be able to have a meaningful dialogue you need to sit down face to face and engage over time, and that is lot much easier if you are in the same place,” Niklasson told reporters in Kabul on Sunday, after meeting officials of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) during his visit to the country.

“It is clear, I think, who would be on one side of the table, and that is of course the de facto authorities. It is more difficult to decide or to find a way of who should represent other Afghans. In fact, I don’t think we should necessarily think about this as a table with two sides. I think we should think about it more as a roundtable where you have different interests, different political interests, different ethnic origins, men and women who can come together,” Niklasson added.

The diplomat also said that the ban on women’s work in NGOs raises a “serious obstacle” to assistance reaching women and children.

“A harsh winter is coming to an end, but the humanitarian situation remains worse than ever, with more than 28 million vulnerable Afghans in need of assistance, more than half of them are children below the age of 17,” Niklasson said.

On the issue of ban on secondary schoolgirls and female university students, the envoy said that he did not hear any “firm commitment” that schools were going to open at the beginning of the school year which will commence in less than three weeks.

“Although many (ministers) confirmed the right of girls and women to study, I did not hear any firm commitment that schools were going to open at the beginning of the school year after Nowruz, despite very clear question from our side. But opening the schools and universities to provide quality education to Afghan boys and girls, women and men is not optional. It is a necessary investment in the future, in the next generation, in a better Afghanistan, and above all it is a request by all the Afghans we speak to,” Niklasson said.

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India to allow ambassador-level IEA post

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India’s government is expected to accept a top Islamic Emirate representative to the country soon, the latest step from New Delhi to improve ties with Kabul and counter China’s growing influence in Afghanistan, Bloomberg reported.

The IEA official won’t be recognized as a diplomat by India but will be the top representative for the government there. The IEA won’t be able to fly its flag at the embassy, at events or on official vehicles, according to Bloomberg.

Najib Shaheen, a diplomat in his early 30s at the Afghan embassy in Doha, is the main contender for the ambassador-level role in New Delhi. He has worked with the IEA for almost a decade, and is the son of the IEA’s ambassador to Qatar. Shawkat Ahmadzai, who works at the ministry of foreign affairs, is another candidate being considered for the role.

Only a handful of countries, including China, Pakistan and Russia, have accepted diplomats from the IEA, which seized power in Afghanistan in 2021.

India and Afghanistan agreed to resume bilateral trade after senior representatives from both sides met in Doha in January. The IEA also recently sent an administrator to Mumbai to serve as acting consul-general.

 

 

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IEA delegation led by Deputy PM Baradar leaves Kabul for Uzbekistan

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A high-level delegation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), led by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, left Kabul for Tashkent on Saturday.

The aim of the two-day visit is to expand political, economic, trade and transit relations between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan and attract Uzbek investment in various sectors in Afghanistan, Baradar’s office said in a statement.

Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum Hedayatullah Badri, Acting Minister of Transport and Aviation Hamidullah Akhundzada, Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi, Acting Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Ataullah Omari, Da Afghanistan Bank President Noor Ahmad Agha, and Deputy Finance Minister for Revenue and Customs Abdul Matin Saeed accompany Mullah Baradar in the visit.

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Abdul Kabir calls on Afghans to uphold and protect the Islamic system

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Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the Acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, emphasized the collective responsibility of all citizens to protect and safeguard the ruling Islamic system during a graduation ceremony at a religious school in Kabul.

He highlighted the importance of maintaining national stability and unity, calling on everyone to contribute to the preservation of the country’s Islamic governance. 

In his address, Abdul Kabir also underscored the harmonious relationship between modern and religious sciences, noting that significant scientific advancements have been achieved in Afghanistan.

The remarks come amid repeated warnings from Islamic Emirate officials about external threats to Afghanistan’s stability. They have accused hostile groups abroad of launching negative propaganda campaigns aimed at undermining public trust in the ruling system and disrupting the country’s peace. 

IEA officials have urged citizens to remain vigilant against such conspiracies. They called on the public to reject false and misleading propaganda, emphasizing the need for unity to counter the efforts of those seeking to destabilize the nation.

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