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Pakistan invites Karzai to attend ‘special’ Afghan conference
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Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said Pakistan is continuing its efforts to achieve stability and security in Afghanistan.
In a tweet, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan had a telephonic conversation with former Afghan President Hamid Karzai and invited him to attend a “special” conference on Afghanistan situation the country would organise soon.
Geo News reported that the information minister said that key Afghan leaders, including Hamid Karzai, have been invited to attend the proposed conference.
The recent development will give rise to new hopes for a solution to Afghanistan’s problems, he added.
According to a report in The News, the proposed conference will take place from July 17 to 19 and several Afghan leaders have already confirmed their participation.
Afghan special presidential envoy for Pakistan Mohammed Umer Daudzai and former finance minister Omar Zakhilwal have both confirmed to VOA they will attend the meeting. However, Daudzai, said the meeting “dates are still being debated.”
Hamid Karzai, a former Afghan president, Salahuddin Rabbani, a former foreign minister, Omar Zakhilwal, a former finance minister, Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq, a senior leader of ethnic Hazara minority community, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a former warlord-turned politician, and Ahmad Wali Masoud, are among the invitees, the sources said.
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Health ministry says China will reconstruct Mirwais Regional Hospital in Kandahar
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The Ministry of Public Health announced that China has pledged comprehensive support for the reconstruction and development of the Mirwais Regional Hospital in Kandahar.
According to a statement from the ministry, China’s ambassador to Kabul Zhao Xing conveyed this during a meeting with Noor Jalal Jalali, the acting minister of public health.
Zhao also expressed support for enhancing the capacity of healthcare workers, providing essential equipment, and supplying necessary medicines for the Mirwais Regional Hospital.
During the meeting, he stated: “In the near future, with joint coordination from the Ministry of Public Health, the reconstruction and development of the Mirwais Regional Hospital will commence.”
The 600-bed hospital was built with aid from China in 1979, but services have been affected by years of fighting in the region.
The hospital was damaged during the 2001-2021 war in the country but continued to be used.
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Domestic tourists visit Nuristan, Afghanistan’s eastern winter wonderland
Most of Nuristan is covered by mountainous forests and the entire province was designated a protected national park in 2020.
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The picturesque mountain province of Nuristan, in eastern Afghanistan, has once again been transformed into a winter wonderland with good snowfalls having been recorded.
Located on the southern slopes of the Hindu Kush mountains, Nuristan is the least populated province in the country with an estimated population of only about 170,000.
Most of Nuristan is covered by mountainous forests and the entire province was designated a protected national park in 2020.
While some visitors manage to reach remote villages, this is a huge challenge given the poor condition of the roads.
Local officials say they are trying to rebuild the roads.
Local officials have also said they are trying to boost tourism by creating facilities for visitors.
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Lavrov, Aragchi: Afghanistan situation of particular interest to both Russia and Iran
Tehran and Moscow are holding joint consultations on the situation in Afghanistan in various formats, alongside China and Pakistan
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said in a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday that developments in Afghanistan are of particular importance to both countries.
He also emphasized that Tehran and Moscow are holding joint consultations on the situation in Afghanistan in various formats, alongside China and Pakistan.
Lavrov said after meeting with Aragchi that the two diplomats discussed the success of the economic forum held in Iran in January “and discussed our relations with Afghanistan, with which we cooperate in a variety of formats, including the Moscow Format and a meeting between the countries neighbouring Afghanistan and the Big Four that includes China, Iran, Russia, and Pakistan.”
Lavrov was in Iran Tuesday for consultations with high-ranking Iranian officials.
Lavrov’s Iranian counterpart, Aragchi said the Afghanistan situation has been of close interest to both countries over the years.
“The developments in Afghanistan are of interest to us and Russia. Our talks have always continued in this regard, and we intend to consult each other more on this issue,” he said.
Experts have highlighted the role of Iran and Russia in Afghanistan’s foreign policy as important, saying that Kabul’s good relations with neighboring countries and the region can be constructive for the future of Afghanistan.
Although Russia and Iran have not yet recognized the Islamic Emirate, they have maintained close relations with the Islamic Emirate government.
Tehran has consistently emphasized resolving the issue of Afghanistan’s legitimacy through regional consensus and full political inclusion in Afghanistan.
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