Latest News
New Afghan Ambassador presents credentials to UN Secretary General
The new Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations, Ambassador Mahmoud Saikal, presented his credentials today to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Ambassador Saikal is a senior Afghan diplomat and international development specialist with over two decades of experience with governments, international organizations, private sector and civil society.
According to the UN press release Saikal has served as Special Representative and Senior Advisor to the Chief Executive of Afghanistan, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, Ambassador of Afghanistan to Australia and New Zealand, First Secretary and later Counselor Minister Plenipotentiary at the Embassy of Afghanistan in
Ambassador Saikal was instrumental in the negotiation of various agreements, including the 2014 agreement on the formation of the National Unity Government of Afghanistan, the “Joint Declaration on Regional Peace and Stability” a track II initiative launched in Kabul in 2013, the “Afghanistan Compact” which was launched at the London International Conference on Afghanistan in 2006, as well as the 2006 Afghanistan-NATO Declaration, which set out the Framework for Enduring Cooperation in Partnership.
He was deeply involved in the promotion of regional cooperation, resulting in Afghanistan’s membership in South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC), strengthening Afghanistan’s membership in Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), and formulation of the process of Regional Economic Cooperation Conferences on Afghanistan (RECCA).
Ambassador Saikal has a Master’s Degree in International Development from Deakin University of Melbourne, as well as two bachelor degrees from the University of Sydney and the University of Canberra. He graduated with First Class French Baccalaureate from Lycee Esteqlal of Kabul.
Born on 1 January 1962, Ambassador Saikal is married with two children.
Latest News
Kabul police summons Afghan YouTuber Hamayon
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.
Latest News
Contract worth $53 million signed for construction of last section of Khaf–Herat railway
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.
Latest News
US urges IEA to fulfill counter-terrorism commitments
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.
-
Sport4 days ago
Afghanistan beat Australia 5-4 in NSDF Futsal Championship
-
Sport4 days ago
IPL: Mumbai Indians fall short by just six runs in Gujarat match
-
Latest News5 days ago
Over 500 of Herat’s artifacts submitted to museum and archive
-
Regional3 days ago
Attackers target Pakistani naval airbase in Baluchistan
-
World4 days ago
Four killed, several injured as race car hits spectators at Hungary rally
-
Latest News4 days ago
Over 3 million national electronic ID cards distributed in 1402
-
Sport3 days ago
IPL: RCB register first win against Punjab Kings
-
Latest News4 days ago
US envoy urges IEA to respect rights of all Afghans