Connect with us

Latest News

Khalilzad Embarks On Seven-Country Trip On Afghan Peace

Published

on

(Last Updated On: October 24, 2022)

U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad in a renewed effort to restore peace in the war-weary country has embarked on another multi-nation trip to seven countries, the U.S. Department of State says in a statement.

According to the statement, Khalilzad has begun his trip on Afghan peace to Afghanistan, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Jordan and Qatar from March 25 to April 10, as part of the overall effort to facilitate a peace process that brings all Afghan parties together in inclusive intra-Afghan negotiations.

“In Kabul, the Special Representative will consult with the Afghan government and other Afghans about the status of U.S. talks with the Taliban, encourage efforts to form an inclusive negotiating team, and discuss next steps in intra-Afghan discussions and negotiations,” the statement adds.

The statement says that Khalilzad will meet with the Allies and partners regarding the status of peace talks and to coordinate sustained commitment by the international community to peace and development in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the U.S Ambassador to Afghanistan John Bass in a special interview with Ariana News said that there is some “fundamental” difference of perspective between Taliban views its role in society and how the rest of the society views the Taliban’s role, behavior and actions in Afghanistan.

“There is a fundamental difference between the United States and all of our allies, recognition of the current government in Kabul as the legitimate representative of the Afghan people to other countries and in the United Nations and of course how the Taliban views the current government, “ Bass said.  “So that is the difference that needs to work it out in the course of discussions.”

The envoy also talked about another key challenge in the Afghan peace process which according to him is the Taliban’s relationship with the countries in the region.

“Another key challenge, a degree of ambiguity about the Taliban’s relationships with some other governments and the extent to which the Taliban would implement an agreement faithfully with respect to its relationships which currently clearly exists with some other government in the region,” Bass said.

Ambassador Bass, meanwhile, said that achieving a degree of certainty about that dimension of the conflict will be quite important for the Afghan people “to have confidence in the outcome and confidence that any agreement would actually be important”.

Latest News

Kabul police summons Afghan YouTuber Hamayon

Published

on

(Last Updated On: March 29, 2024)

Afghanistan’s YouTuber Hamayon Afghan was summoned to the police station for publishing a woman’s interview without her permission, Kabul police said.

The spokesman of Kabul Police Khalid Zadran said Friday on X that Hamayon interviewed an old woman and published the report without her permission.

“After the interview, the interviewee’s family complained to the police and the police summoned Hamayon Afghan to the police station,” said Zadran.

Zadran stated that police are working to solve the problem with the two sides’ agreement as soon as possible.

He urges people to avoid posting rumors on the issue.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Contract worth $53 million signed for construction of last section of Khaf–Herat railway

Published

on

(Last Updated On: March 29, 2024)

A contract worth $53 million was signed Thursday for the construction of the last section of Khaf-Herat railway that connects Afghanistan with Iran.

The contract was signed between Afghanistan Railway Authority and Gamma Group in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, his office said in a statement.

The segment is 47-kilometer long, stretching from Rabat Parian to Herat International Airport and the Industrial Town, according to the statement.

It added that completion and standard operational readiness are expected within approximately two years.

“Upon its completion, this segment will integrate the Khaf-Herat regional connectivity project with Iran’s significant seaports and facilitate access to Europe via the Turkish railway network,” the statement said.

“Furthermore, traversing Afghan territory, it will bolster commercial exchanges between Central and South Asia. Notably, this project’s realization will enable the expansion of railway networks into Farah, Nimruz, Helmand, and Kandahar provinces,” it added.

Gamma operates across Europe and Asia in multiple sectors including construction, renewable energy, power transmission, mining, railways among others.

Continue Reading

Latest News

US urges IEA to fulfill counter-terrorism commitments

Published

on

(Last Updated On: March 29, 2024)

The US State Department said on Thursday that Washington is committed to ensuring that Afghanistan can never again be a launching pad for terrorism.

“We remain committed to ensuring that Afghanistan can never again be a launching pad for terrorism, and we continue to push the Taliban (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) to fulfill all of their counterterrorism commitments to the international community,” the department’s spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a news briefing in Washington.

He reiterated that the United States had clearly communicated to the IEA that it’s their responsibility to ensure that “they give no safe haven to terrorists, whether it be Al Qaeda or ISIS-K or any other terrorist organization”.

Miller also reassured US allies that Washington was closely watching the developments in Afghanistan and was ready to deal with any threat emerging from the region.

“We remain vigilant against the evolving threat of these terrorist groups, and our global coalition to defeat ISIS and the C5+1 help intensify our efforts to monitor terrorist threats from the region and prevent their ability to raise funds, travel, and spread propaganda,” he said.

C5+1 refers to a diplomatic platform involving the five Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgy­zstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) and the United States. It serves as a forum for discussing and addressing regional issues such as security, economic development, and cooperation.

“The United States remains vigilant against the evolving threat posed by terrorist groups, including ISIS-K, and has maintained an unwavering focus on terrorism since President Joe Biden took office three years ago,” Miller said.

The US, he said, was “working both unilaterally and with its partners to successfully disrupt threats across the globe and degrade ISIS”.

“We will continue to work to hold ISIS accountable for its actions and to prevent terrorist attacks against the United States and other Western countries,” Miller said.

This comes as IEA has repeatedly said that it is committed to not allowing anyone to use Afghanistan soil against any other country.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2022 Ariana News. All rights reserved!