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High Council claims all obstacles in way of peace talks ‘have been removed’

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Faraidoon Khawzon, a spokesman for the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), said on Wednesday that as soon as the prisoner release process has been completed a team will travel to Doha, Qatar, to start intra-Afghan negotiations.

According to Khawzon: “All obstacles ahead of the intra-Afghan talks have been removed. The prisoner swap process will be completed soon. After the completion of the process, the talks will start.”

Other HCNR officials meanwhile said that if the remaining 120 prisoners are released on Wednesday a negotiating team could leave for Doha on Thursday.

This latest development comes a day after the Afghan government released 200 of the 320 hardcore Taliban prisoners, which has been a stumbling block in the way of peace talks.

In addition, President Ashraf Ghani met with the peace talks team in Kabul on Wednesday morning.

HCNR Chairman Abdullah Abdullah, and Head of Negotiating Team Masoom Stanekzai were also in attendance.

Ghani told the team: “I am pleased that the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has reached this critical stage of peace as a result of its continuous efforts and you, as a united and cohesive team, on behalf of the people and government of Afghanistan, are beginning peace talks with the Taliban.”

Ghani assured them that they had the full support of government and the people of Afghanistan and said the team’s “strength in diversity, unity and coordination,” was testimony to the strength of the country’s democracy and diversity.

“Our national charter, which is the constitution, sets the boundaries for all of us,” he added.

“Our ulema, women and youth each have their own national and political weight in the composition of the peace negotiating team and they will represent each and every section of our society well, because it is an absolute civic and national team,” he said.

Ghani also thanked Abdullah for having successfully led the recent Peace Consultative Loya Jirga.

“In the presence of national, regional and international consensus, our goal is a prosperous, free, united, independent and peaceful Afghanistan,” he said.

“The main goal of our delegation is to end the violence, because the people want lasting peace and the preservation of the values of the new society,” he added.

Ghani stressed that government had fulfilled all its commitments in the peace process that the international community had hoped for and that the release of Taliban prisoners was a clear demonstration of the government’s commitment to peace.

Abdullah meanwhile said: “You have the strong support of the Government and people of Afghanistan and will continue to work for national sovereignty, national values and national interests during the negotiations.”

He also pointed out that the team’s composition represented the diversity of the people of Afghanistan.

Abdullah said the Afghan government has shown its commitment to the peace process, because the release of Taliban prisoners had not been an easy decision to make.

“You have a difficult task and we are all united to achieve a dignified and lasting peace,” he told the negotiating team.

However, he made it clear that government is strongly committed to peace and that the Taliban must also show its commitment in this regard.

In conclusion, Ghani said the people of Afghanistan hoped an agreement would bring a reduction in violence and a permanent ceasefire so that lasting and dignified peace can be achieved as soon as possible.

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Islamic Emirate’s army now self-sufficient, says chief of army staff

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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

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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.

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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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