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United Nations ready to mediate the Afghan peace process
The United Nations has announced that it was ready to participate in the mediation of the Afghan peace process.
Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General stated in his daily briefing on Friday that the UN stands “ready to uh to assist the parties as requested our role must and will always be in support of the Afghan people must be agreeable to the parties in the conflict,”
The UN official’s comments come after the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said in a letter to the Afghan leaders that a meeting facilitated by the UN will be hosted in Turkey to discuss the Afghan peace process.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, meanwhile, said Friday that Turkey is ready to host an Afghan peace conference in Istanbul in April.
Stéphane Dujarric stated: “The secretary-general and others have been in touch with the Americans, the Russians, and the Qataris and the Turks and many other parties.”
“There is a positive momentum from the international community in terms of coordination and moving forward on helping the afghan parties find peace for the sake of the people of Afghanistan,” Dujarric said.
“We are continuing our discussions and we will do whatever we can to support and do what is requested of us within the framework I have already spoken about,” Dujarric added.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone conversation with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday to discuss Afghanistan.
"On Afghanistan, Secretary Blinken thanked Secretary-General Guterres for his commitment to helping advance talks on a just and durable political settlement and permanent and comprehensive ceasefire," US State Department said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Russia has also planned to hold a conference on the Afghan peace process in Moscow on March 18.
Russian Special for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said last week that Russia had invited the United States, China, Pakistan, representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban group (outlawed in Russia), as well as Afghan political figures, to Moscow for consultations on a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan.
Kabulove stated that all participants have confirmed to attend the peace summit.
Russian FM Sergey Lavrov regarding the conference stated: “We are genuinely interested in bringing an end to the Afghan tragedy as soon as possible.”
“We are not competing with Qatar or any other country in this regard. We have not adopted a stance that could become a bone of contention. As you are aware, before the Doha process, there was the Istanbul process and the Moscow format, and no one ever thought of reproaching our Qatari friends for stealing the show,” Lavrov said.
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.
The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid says the acting government is committed to supporting media outlets and they can operate within the framework of Islamic Sharia and national interests.
Marking World Television Day on Thursday, November 21, Mujahid said: “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan supports the media in general. Media can operate within the framework of Islamic Sharia and national interests.”
“As far as we are able, we cooperate with the media and the Afghan media currently have publications and they are broadcasting their publications well,” he added.
The United Nations General Assembly named November 21 as World Television Day in 1996.
“Since IEA’s takeover, of 184 national and local televisions, 57 television stations were shut down due to economic problems,” said Hojatullah Mujadadi, the head of Afghanistan Free Journalists' Association (AFJU).
Currently, about 370 visual, audio and print media are active in the country.
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