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Afghan Peace Conference in China Delayed After Moscow 4-Party Meeting
An intra-Afghan meeting that was scheduled to be held in China delayed for an unspecified period of time after representatives of United States, China, Russia, and Pakistan met in Moscow on Friday.
The two-day conference was scheduled for October 28 between representatives of Taliban and Afghan politicians including Kabul government officials.
Haji Din Mohammad, an Afghan politician who is invited to the Beijing conference told Ariana News that the intra-Afghan conference has delayed for a couple of days.
Mawlawi Qalamuddin, a former Taliban official who is also invited to the conference confirmed the postponement.
“There might be 25 participants close to [Former President Hamid] Karzai, 10 government representatives and 15 Taliban representatives that will participate at the conference,” said Mohammad Hassan Haqyar, a pro-Taliban analyst.
Both the Afghan government and the Taliban insurgent group say their representatives will take part in the meeting.
“The Afghan government is working to prepare a proper list of participants for China conference,” said Najia Anwari, a spokesperson of State Ministry for Peace Affairs.
The Taliban said in a statement that Beijing has invited them to the conference and its delegation will participate under the leadership of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
In addition, on Friday meeting, Russia, China and Pakistan have called for an early resumption of talks between the United States and the Taliban to reach an agreement about ending the war in Afghanistan.
“Russia, China and Pakistan expressed their support for the earliest resumption of negotiation process and reaching an agreement between the United States of America and the Taliban movement, which will pave the way for launching intra-Afghan talks,” a post-meeting statement noted.
Meanwhile, the four-party meeting have called on all warring parties in Afghanistan to observe a ceasefire for the duration of intra-Afghan negotiations.
The participants of Moscow meeting have also called on the Afghan government and Taliban to release “significant numbers of prisoners at the start of intra-Afghan negotiations.”
The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan has announced scholarship opportunities for Afghan students under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program for the 2027 academic year.
According to the embassy, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan is offering scholarships for graduate-level study at Japanese universities under the research student category, including both regular and non-regular students.
Interested and eligible applicants can download the application guidelines and forms from the official Study in Japan website and are advised to carefully review all requirements before applying.
Applicants who meet the eligibility criteria and have prepared all required documents must submit their applications by 25 May 2026. The embassy said late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted.
The first screening process will include a written examination in Kabul on 18 June 2026, followed by interviews scheduled for July 2026 (date to be confirmed).
The Embassy of Japan noted that the Aga Khan Foundation Afghanistan will assist in collecting applications and facilitating written examinations, but will not be involved in the selection process.
It further emphasized that the selection will be conducted independently by the embassy and the Japanese government, based on academic merit, quality of application documents, and performance in written and interview examinations, without consideration of religious, linguistic, or ethnic background.
The scholarship program is fully funded and free of charge. The embassy warned applicants to remain cautious against scams, stressing that no financial contributions are required at any stage of the application process.
Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, has launched the distribution of more than 1,000 residential land plots for returning migrants in Logar province.
During a visit to Logar, Hanafi inaugurated a new township and said the initiative aims to support Afghan returnees by providing them with housing opportunities and improving settlement conditions.
He called for speeding up the process of distributing residential plots designated for migrants, stressing the importance of timely implementation.
“We inaugurated this township today, which includes more than 1,000 plots. These plots will be distributed to migrants. In addition, other townships will also be constructed soon,” he said.
Hanafi also noted that over the past three years, more than five million Afghan migrants have returned from neighboring countries, adding that efforts are underway to provide them with essential services and support their reintegration.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani, has urged the Afghan authorities to take concrete action against militant threats that Islamabad says originate from Afghan soil.
Speaking at an event at the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul marking the first anniversary of Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos against India, Nizamani reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to maintaining “brotherly ties” with Afghanistan.
The ambassador also highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts in reducing tensions between Iran and the United States, saying Islamabad’s initiatives reflected its commitment to regional and global peace.
During the ceremony, Nizamani reaffirmed Pakistan’s determination to defend itself against any aggression.
“Pakistan’s desire for peace must never be mistaken for weakness,” the ambassador said, calling for heightened vigilance against regional threats.
Pakistani officials have consistently claimed that militants use Afghan soil to attack Pakistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has denied this claim and said that Afghanistan is not responsible for Pakistan’s security failures.
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