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Abdullah and team leave for Moscow peace summit
A 16-member delegation from the Afghan Republic, led by the Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah, left Kabul on Wednesday morning for Moscow, to attend the planned peace meeting in Russia, the HCNR confirmed.
The Moscow conference, organized by Troika member states (US, Russia, and China), will be held on March 18.
“We are looking forward to a successful conference and exchange of views with the Taliban delegation and the host country,” Abdullah said.
Abdullah stated that the conference will focus on ways to accelerate the intra-Afghan talks in Doha, reduce violence, and end the conflict in Afghanistan.
“It also debates the ways and means to promote the development of Afghanistan as an independent, peaceful and self-sufficient state, free from terrorism and drug-related crimes,” he noted.
He also said Afghanistan acknowledges “the pivotal role of AFG’s neighbors, & Russia in establishing a lasting peace in the country”.
The Moscow Summit comes ahead of a second planned meeting in Turkey next month – which is also part of efforts to secure a peace settlement.
Abdullah meanwhile emphasized that both summits would boost the Afghan peace process.
“While welcoming regional and international initiatives to support the peace process, we strongly believe that the Moscow conference will boost the Doha peace talks, and the upcoming Turkey conference on Afghanistan,” he said.
Meanwhile, a 10-member Taliban delegation, led by the Taliban Deputy Leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar has also headed to Moscow to attend the meeting.
The Taliban delegation includes Mawlawi Abdul Hakim, Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi, Shaikk Delawar, Mullah Fazel, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, Suhail Shaheen, Anas Haqqani, Mullah Khairullah Khairkhah, and Taliban’s Spokesman Mohammad Naeem.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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