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Khalilzad in Kabul for talks ahead of Istanbul Summit
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has arrived in Kabul for talks with government leaders, including the chairman of the High Council for Naitonal Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah.
Khalilzad’s visit comes ahead of the Istanbul Summit which is scheduled to start later this month.
According to a source, Khalilzad will discuss the latest developments around the peace process with high-ranking leaders and the peace proposal expected to be shared by the Afghan Republic at the Turkey conference.
Khalilzad is also expected to meet with President Ashraf Ghani.
The US-proposed and UN-led summit will see Afghan government leaders, politicians and Taliban representatives, along with international stakeholders discuss a roadmap to a political settlement in the country.
No official date has been announced for the summit but some sources have said it could start on April 16.
Ghani, Abdullah and a number of politicians have meanwhile been working on a peace proposal to be presented at the summit.
Over the past week, the HCNR’s leadership committee worked to combine proposals from various entities so that a single plan can be presented in Istanbul.
In an interview with the BBC on Thursday, First Vice President Amrullah Saleh confirmed the Afghan Republic will present a single plan at the summit.
Saleh said the Republic’s plan, which includes early elections, stipulates that incumbent president Ashraf Ghani will not run for presidency.
Saleh said the Afghan government also wants regional and international guarantees for peace and assurances that no deals are made that gives one group all the power.
Saleh said the Republic’s peace plan is comprehensive.
Eleven people have been killed in a shooting at a shrine in Afghanistan’s northern Baghlan province, local sources said on Friday.
The incident took place at 9 pm on Thursday at the shrine of Sayed Padsha Jan in Shahr-e-Kuhna of Nahrin district.
A local resident said the dead were residents of Nahrin district and wanted to spend the night at the shrine.
Asadullah Mustafa Hashemi, the provincial information and culture director, confirmed the incident but did not provide details on how it happened or the number of casualties.
Provincial police spokesman said they had not received any information about the incident yet.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Serdar Muhammetdurdiyev on Thursday met with Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan announced.
During the meeting, the sides discussed priority vectors of strategic interstate cooperation built on a long-term, mutually beneficial basis, as well as exchanged views on the implementation of previously reached agreements.
It was noted that personal contacts between the leaders of the two countries play a key role in intensifying the interstate dialogue, which give a strong impulse to further development and expansion of Turkmen-Chinese ties.
It was emphasized that Turkmenistan considers multilateral international platforms for maintaining stability in Afghanistan as an important factor in promoting sustainable improvement of socio-economic state of the neighboring country. The sides exchanged views on the preparations to the 5th meeting of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan's Neighboring States to be held in Turkmenistan.
The interlocutors reaffirmed that Turkmenistan and China will continue to provide all-round support for the economic restoration of Afghanistan.
The U.S. House Of Representatives has passed a legislation on evacuation of Afghans who assisted Americans during the 20-year war in Afghanistan.
“The passage of the CARE Authorization Act of 2024 further underscores the commitment made by the U.S. government to safeguard those who served shoulder-to-shoulder with our personnel during the twenty-year mission in Afghanistan,” Congresswoman Dina Titus said in a statement.
“The State Department has made it clear: There is no deadline for the crucial job of protecting Afghan allies. By authorizing the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts at the State Department, we can more effectively relocate and resettle those who have qualified to immigrate to the U.S. as a result of their service to this country.”
In 2022 the State Department established a specialized office called the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) to streamline and coordinate the ongoing relocation and resettlement process for eligible Afghans from Afghanistan and Pakistan to the United States.
The CARE Authorization Act of 2024 will formally authorize the CARE office at the State Department for three years and grant important authorities to advance its mission. These include an extension of authorities to enter into personal services contracts as well as measures to streamline the transfer of funds to and from other agencies involved in the Afghan relocation mission.
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