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Germany warns against premature troop withdrawal from Afghanistan
The German government on Wednesday warned US President Donald Trump that his planned drawdown of American troops from Afghanistan risks putting peace and progress in the country in danger.
“Our serious concern is that a premature withdrawal could jeopardize the negotiation process [between the Afghan government and the Taliban], create a security vacuum and jeopardize the progress achieved in Afghanistan,” German foreign ministry spokesperson Christofer Burger told reporters during a briefing in Berlin.
This came after acting US Defense Secretary Christopher Miller said late Tuesday that Washington will reduce its military presence in Afghanistan from around 4,500 troops to 2,500 by January 15.
Since the US ousted the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001, NATO allies, including Germany, have assisted American military efforts in the country.
The US currently has around 4,500 troops in Afghanistan while NATO has just under 12,000.
In February the US signed a conditions-based withdrawal agreement with the Taliban which paved the way for the start of peace talks between the Afghanistan Republic’s negotiating team and the Taliban.
However, since the start of talks in September – which quickly hit a deadlock – the Taliban has markedly increased violence across the country.
In line with this, Burger told reporters on Wednesday that German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas “has repeatedly acknowledged that it was a great diplomatic achievement, including that of the Trump government, to create the conditions for peace negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government to take place.”
He added: “In our view, this peace process is the best way to ensure that a troop withdrawal can take place in such a way that everything that has been achieved in Afghanistan in recent years — in terms of human rights, education, economic development, development opportunities for girls and women as well — is not lost or put at risk. One of the key business principles of this peace process has always been that military withdrawal steps are subject to conditions.”
At the same briefing, German defense ministry spokesperson Arne Collatz-Johannsen acknowledged that the US troop withdrawal also risks having consequences for the over 1,000 German troops that are currently in Afghanistan as part of the Resolute Support mission.
“We are of course trying to find out — also together with our partners and NATO as a whole — what this means in concrete terms for capabilities on the ground, because it is also very clear that the US, as the strongest contributor to the deployment on the ground, has a significant role to play in capabilities that are necessary to sustain the overall [troop presence],” Collatz-Johannsen said.
“Here we assume that the principle — together in, together out, and out at the right time — will be upheld,” he said. “We now have to adjust our planning … to what we are told by the American side.”
On Tuesday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also warned the Trump administration against a hasty pullout from Afghanistan, saying “the price for leaving too soon or in an uncoordinated way could be very high.”
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Islamic Emirate’s army now self-sufficient, says chief of army staff
Mohammad Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, says that over the past four years, the army forces of the Islamic Emirate have shown no hesitation in defending and protecting Afghanistan, and that today the country’s army is standing on its own feet.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, Fitrat made these remarks at a meeting with media representatives, political analysts, and a number of government officials aimed at coordination and strengthening cooperation. He added: “Nations that cannot stand on their own feet and rely on others, even if they grow, will not be capable of achieving real progress.”
Fitrat also expressed appreciation for the role of the media in ensuring security and in supporting the country’s defense forces, stating: “We and you, as citizens of this land, must put our hands together and build the country together, take pride in our forces, and strive with all our strength for the country’s development. We have created an army that defends honor, territorial integrity, and the borders of the country, and serves as the guardian of our freedom.”
He emphasized that the Islamic Emirate is working to establish an army equipped with modern weapons so that it can defend the country’s territory under all circumstances.
He stated that the country’s army has proven to the people that anyone who looks at this land with ill intent will face a firm and courageous response, and that it has also been made clear to neighboring countries that any aggression against Afghanistan will be met with a response several times stronger.
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Afghan health minister attends second WHO summit in India
Noor Jalal Jalali, the Minister of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate, participated in the second World Health Organization meeting on traditional medicine during his official visit to India.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry of Public Health said that the meeting was held in India with the participation of representatives from around 100 countries, health ministers from 23 countries, professional experts from various nations, and officials from different departments of the World Health Organization.
During the meeting, discussions were held on the standardization of traditional medicine, training of individuals active in this field, recognition of traditional medicine as an established reality, and the sharing of countries’ experiences in this area.
The ministry stated that the purpose of participating in the conference was to standardize traditional medicine in Afghanistan, adding that for several decades this sector has been practiced in a non-standard manner and without a defined curriculum or clear principles.
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Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan boost trade and digital finance ties
Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives.
Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, Abdul Salam Hanafi, has met with a high-level Kyrgyz delegation led by Minister of Economy and Commerce Bakhyt Sydykov to discuss expanding bilateral trade and strengthening cooperation in digital financial services.
During the meeting, Hanafi reaffirmed Afghanistan’s readiness to deepen ties with Kyrgyzstan, stressing the importance of developing electronic administration systems and modern banking channels to facilitate trade and financial transactions between the two countries.
Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives. He also pointed to potential cooperation in areas such as the printing of securities and the development of electronic payment systems.
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