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Putin says Russia hopes to build strong relations with Afghanistan
Russia sees an opportunity to boost relations with Afghanistan amid the country's stabilization, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
"The CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization] is not only alive but thriving," Putin told journalists following the CSTO Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. "All member countries participating in its work are interested in maintaining these ties both now and in the future."
"What’s going on in Ukraine is not the only reason things are difficult. Is everything so good in Asia? He added. - Should the events on the borders of the commonwealth countries with Afghanistan make us feel so good as to turn our attention elsewhere?"
"The situation in Afghanistan is complex," Putin noted. "Still, we hope to build strong relations with Afghanistan."
"We cannot ignore the fact that the situation in the country is stabilizing. We are engaged in bilateral relations with the current authorities of Afghanistan and they [the relations] will be developed further," the Russian president added.
"However, the situation remains complicated and demands our close attention, including from the CSTO," Putin said. "After all, the CSTO is concerned not only with military issues, but also with fighting organized crime, drug trafficking and so on. So there is plenty of work to do, and member states are equally interested in addressing this."
On November 25, an extensive Russian delegation, which was led by Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu and also included Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, held four meetings with Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad for Political Affairs Abdul Kabir, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar, Acting Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob, and Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani.
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Ministry: $1 billion invested in Afghanistan’s poultry production sector
Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock (MAIL) have revealed that over one billion dollars have been invested in the poultry production sector across Afghanistan.
According to the ministry, investment in this sector continues to rise, with approximately 15,000 poultry farms currently operating nationwide.
Misbahuddin Mustain, spokesman for MAIL, said: "At present, around 15,000 poultry farms are actively operating throughout Afghanistan, collectively valued at over one billion dollars."
However, despite this significant investment, the Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock notes that Afghanistan has not yet achieved self-sufficiency in poultry production.
"The poultry sector has significantly reduced imports and stopped importing old chickens into the country. We support this sector. Currently, egg imports are ongoing due to a shortage of eggs,” said Mirwais Hajizada, deputy head of the Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock.
Economic experts believe there is substantial potential for further investment in the poultry industry, stressing that continued growth is essential for the country to reach full self-sufficiency.
Despite the ongoing investments, Afghanistan imports chicken and eggs from neighboring countries. Industry officials are urging the government to focus on expanding the sector, to transform Afghanistan into an exporter of poultry products in the near future.
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Declining water levels affect 50 percent of fish farms in Kandahar
Fish farmers in Kandahar say that the water level in the province has decreased significantly and the problem has affected 50 percent of fish farms in the southern Afghan province.
Mohammad Ibrahim, head of the Kandahar Fish Farmers’ Union, says: “The number of farms has decreased by 50 to 60 percent. In the past, there were up to 1,800 farms, but now there are about 250 active farms left. There are also inactive farms, but their number is small.”
Fish farmers call for building dams to divert water. They say that surface water should be used for raising fish, not groundwater.
Toryalai, a farmer in Kandahar, says: “Drought has made fish farms very dry. The water level has decreased a lot and this problem has affected the farmers.”
Meanwhile, officials of the Directorate of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock of Kandahar province say fish farmers have been provided with necessary assistance.
Toryalai Agha, Director of the Livestock Promotion Department of the Department of Agriculture and Livestock of Kandahar province, says: “Some NGOs have helped them and have provided them with equipment and fish farming training programs.”
Based on information from officials of the Directorate of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock of Kandahar province, about 152 large and 700 small fish farming farms are operating in the province, producing 700 kilograms of fish daily.
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IEA denies Pakistani defense minister’s funding request claim
However, Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesperson of the IEA, rejected the claim.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has rejected Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif’s recent claim that the IEA had requested 10 billion Pakistani rupees to relocate members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from border areas to other regions of Afghanistan.
In an interview with Geo News on Wednesday, Asif stated that Pakistan agreed to the request but demanded guarantees from the IEA that the relocated TTP members would not return. He alleged that the Islamic Emirate has not yet given a positive response.
“Mullah Yaqub, Amir Khan Muttaqi, Sirajuddin Haqqani, and Mullah Shirin were present in this meeting,” said Asif. “I told them that if the TTP is not stopped, we will be forced to take action, and you [IEA] should not complain. You say you will transfer them to the western provinces, but what is the guarantee that they won’t come back?”
However, Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesperson of the IEA, rejected the claim.
“We reject this claim. The Islamic Emirate has not made such a request to Pakistan,” Fitrat told Ariana News. “It is unfortunate that Pakistani officials are making such baseless statements.”
“We do not know for what purpose they [Pakistan] are making such claims,” Fitrat added.
Tensions between the two neighbors have been escalating. Two weeks ago, Pakistan conducted airstrikes in the Barmal district of Paktia province. The IEA reported that 46 civilians, including women and children, were killed in the attack. Pakistani media, however, claimed the strikes targeted TTP members.
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