Latest News
Khalilzad’s hurrying thread of meetings to kick off Intra-Afghan talks
Khalilzad met the Taliban representatives and Afghan authorities Wednesday in attempts to start the Intra-Afghan negotiations.
In his latest thread of visits, the US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad met with the Taliban representatives and Afghan authorities respectively in Doha, and Kabul aimed to discuss the starting of the Intra-Afghan negotiations in no time.
In Doha, he said he had held 3 constructive meeting s with Mullah Baradar and members of the Taliban Political Commission in Doha, Qatar, and that he had emphasized the US-Taliban agreement is inter-connected – counter-terrorism commitments, Intra-Afghan negotiations, troop withdrawal, and gradual violence reduction leading to a permanent ceasefire.
“I also raised missing Americans Mark Frerichs and Paul Overby as well as our concerns about recent Taliban attacks in Kunduz, Ghazni, & Khost. We discussed their concerns with President Ghani's ordering offensive attacks,” he said.
(1/5) I held 3 constructive mtgs w/ Mullah Berader & members of the Taliban Political Commission. Emphasized the US-Taliban agreement is inter-connected: CT commitments, intra-Afghan negotiations, troop withdrawal, & gradual violence reduction leading to a permanent ceasefire.
— U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad (@US4AfghanPeace) May 20, 2020
According to him, he has underlined the reduction in violence to the Taliban representatives, noting that it must fall by all sides. “Innocent Afghans have borne far too much and for too long the costs of this war,” he wrote.
He writes that the Taliban also expressed their commitment to the agreement and its implementation, adding, “They said they would do all they could to locate our citizens. They will consult their leadership in the next step.”
Confirming the events, the Taliban Political Commission Spokesperson Suhail Shaheen tweeted that they “talked in detail about the acceleration of the peace process.”
Quoting Mullah Baradar, he wrote, “Solution of the Afghan issue lies in the complete implementation of the Agreement. Other mechanisms rather than the Agreement, means creating hurdles in the way of peace. Even now, the peace process has been harmed. Any further delay in its implementation will further harm the process.”
In Kabul, Khalilzad met with the newly reconciled political couple, President Ghani and Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, Abdullah.
He wrote, “We discussed the next steps required to implement the agreement between the 2 leaders. On peace, we agreed that violence is much too high and there is a need to move urgently to reduce it by all sides.
Met with President @AshrafGhani and Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation @DrabdullahCE together and separately today in Kabul. I congratulated them on their agreement to form an inclusive government after protracted negotiations.
— U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad (@US4AfghanPeace) May 21, 2020
“We also agreed on the importance of delivering (and soon) on other commitments made in the US-Taliban agreement and US-Afghanistan joint declaration including the release of prisoners by both sides and the start of Intra-Afghan negotiations.
It is noteworthy that in the meantime, neighboring China, Russia, and Iran have also emphasized the need to commence the Intra-Afghan negotiations.
They have said that they hoped that the Intra-Afghan negotiations begin as soon possible, noting that they can play a constructive role in strengthening the peace process.
Latest News
Ten people killed in Baghlan attack
Ten people were killed by unknown individuals in Afghanistan’s northern Baghlan province on Thursday night, police said on Friday.
The incident happened as the victims were doing Zikr at a mosque in Shahr-e-Kuhna of Nahrin district, police said in a statement.
The statement said that they used to regularly go to mosques and monasteries at night after returning from work.
Abdul Ghayoor Khadim, a provincial police official, said that several people were arrested in connection with the incident, adding that an investigation was launched.
Latest News
Chinese, Turkmen officials meet to discuss Afghanistan
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.
Latest News
U.S. House approves bill on evacuation of Afghan allies
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.
-
Sport5 days ago
FIFA unveils Innovative Club World Cup Trophy ahead of new tournament in 2025
-
Latest News5 days ago
Canada sent 19 failed asylum seekers back to Afghanistan last year
-
Sport4 days ago
Abu Dhabi’s thrilling T10 tournament just days away
-
World4 days ago
Biden allows Ukraine to use US arms to strike inside Russia
-
Sport4 days ago
Afghanistan beat UAE by 169 runs in U19 tri-series
-
Latest News3 days ago
Tajikistan trumps Afghanistan 3-1 in football friendly
-
World3 days ago
Lebanon, Hezbollah agree to US proposal for ceasefire with Israel, Lebanese official says
-
Latest News4 days ago
Two Afghan diplomats posted to Germany under former government resign