US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has agreed to testify publicly at a House of Representatives committee hearing on the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.

According to the committee, chair Michael McCaul, Blinken had committed to appear at a public hearing on December 11 to discuss the committee's investigation of the withdrawal three years ago.

The committee and the State Department have been wrangling over Blinken's appearance for months.

Panel Republicans voted in September to recommend Blinken be held in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a subpoena.

The State Department contended that the panel was provided with large amounts of information, with Blinken testifying before Congress on Afghanistan more than 14 times and the department providing nearly 20,000 pages of records, multiple high-level briefings and transcribed interviews, Reuters reported.

McCaul released a report on September 8 on the committee Republicans' investigation of the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal, blasting Democratic President Joe Biden's administration for failures surrounding the evacuation.

The issue had become intensely politicized before the presidential election on November 5.

In his successful bid for a second term, Republican former President Donald Trump drew criticism for shooting a video for his campaign at Arlington National Cemetery where he appeared at a ceremony honoring troops killed in the evacuation, Reuters reported.

A group of Russian lawmakers submitted a draft bill to the lower house of parliament on Tuesday that if passed will result in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) being removed from Russia’s list of terrorist organizations. 

If approved, the legislation will allow the IEA to be delisted as a banned group if it “stops carrying out activities aimed at promoting, justifying, and supporting terrorism," Russian media reported. 

The bill was submitted by seven senators and five Duma members from the ruling United Russia party and the ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR).

The IEA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and Canada along with other countries, who have also not yet recognized the ruling government. 

Russia has however been strengthening ties with the IEA, both politically and economically over the past three years. 

Earlier this week, Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu visited Afghanistan and said that the removal of the IEA from the list of terrorist groups is in its "final stage."

"Let me confirm our readiness to establish a constructive political dialogue between our countries and among the goals would be providing an impulse for the process of a settlement among Afghans," Shoigu reportedly said.

"We have tried to ensure conditions for a growth in exports of Afghan goods and a growth in foreign investment."

Currently, Russian legislation does not provide for a mechanism allowing for the suspension of a ban on the activities of a banned organization. The proposed bill should eliminate this legal gap.

Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Aziz left for Türkiye late Tuesday to participate in the opening program of the annual Halal Expo International Trade Exhibition, the ministry said in a statement.

The exhibition is the world’s largest “halal organization,” and the goal for 2024 is to attract over 500 procurement professionals from across the globe. It is scheduled to be held from November 27 to 30 in Istanbul.

Azizi will give a speech at the opening event and participate in other programs on the sidelines of the expo.

More than 30 members of the private sector are accompanying Aziz to the expo and Afghan products, services and goods, including carpets, precious and semi-precious stones, dried fruits and banking services will be displayed in eight booths.

The annual expo is held under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkiye, and is organized by various Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) institutions.

In 2023, the Halal Expo Exhibition brought together 314 companies from 45 different countries, including 220 from abroad.

With a total of 23,351 visitors last year, including 7,375 international guests from 82 countries, the event also hosted various high-profile international officials.

Organizers are however anticipating around 40,000 visitors this year, including 10,000 from abroad.

The event aims to facilitate increased participation of companies in the halal sector through B2B agreements.