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Abdullah calls on OIC to mobilize more funds to help Afghans
Abdullah Abdullah, former Chairman of the High Peace Council, welcomed decisions taken by delegates who attended the 17th extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Islamabad but called for the organization to mobilize more money for Afghanistan.
In a series of tweets, on Tuesday night, he called on member states of the OIC to immediately mobilize all necessary resources to increase humanitarian aid to millions of Afghans facing food insecurity and extreme poverty.
Abdullah said the people of Afghanistan must ensure that they have access to unhindered aid to save them from a catastrophe.
The meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation was held on Sunday in Islamabad and saw Islamic countries pledging to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
A humanitarian trust fund was also established by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) with the aim of raising and mobilizing resources to help Afghanistan.
The United States has decided to permanently close its consulate in Peshawar which has long been the closest American diplomatic mission to the Durand Line.
According to a report by the Associated Press, the U.S. State Department informed Congress this week of its intention to shut down the consulate, saying the move would save about $7.5 million annually.
U.S. officials said the closure would not negatively affect Washington’s ability to advance its national interests in Pakistan.
The U.S. consulate in Peshawar was a primary operations and logistics point before, during and after the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan.
The decision is part of a broader effort by the Donald Trump administration to reduce costs and downsize federal agencies, a plan that has been under consideration for more than a year. Officials said the move is not related to the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Last year, the U.S. administration also cut thousands of diplomatic positions at the State Department and dismissed many staff members from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
However, the Peshawar consulate will be the first overseas U.S. diplomatic mission to be completely closed as part of the State Department’s restructuring.
The consulate currently employs 18 American diplomats and government personnel as well as 89 local staff members.
U.S. President Donald Trump once again criticized the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan during a rally-like speech on Wednesday.
He said that everything the Biden administration did regarding Afghanistan was wrong and described the withdrawal as “the most embarrassing day in the history of our country.”
Trump noted that 13 American service members were killed during the evacuation.
He also criticized the decision to withdraw through Kabul airport instead of the Bagram Air Base.
According to Trump, there was no reason for the United States to remain in Afghanistan any longer.
He said his plan had been to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan “with strength and dignity.”
Trump further criticized the Biden administration of leaving large amounts of military equipment behind during the withdrawal.
Nooruddin Azizi, Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, met with Yu Xiaoyong, China’s Special Representative in Kabul, to discuss expanding trade and investment opportunities between the two countries, the ministry said.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce issued on Wednesday, Azizi said Afghanistan offers a secure and favorable environment for investment and invited Chinese investors to explore opportunities across various sectors of the Afghan economy.
He also stressed the need to increase and facilitate Afghan exports to China, particularly products such as cotton, pomegranates, pine nuts, and precious and semi-precious stones. Azizi called for improved customs, transit, and transportation facilities to strengthen trade between the two countries.
Yu, for his part, noted the growing interest of Chinese traders and investors in the Afghan market, describing Afghanistan as a country with significant untapped investment potential within China’s broader economic strategy.
Both sides emphasized the importance of closer cooperation between relevant institutions in the two countries to facilitate trade and promote investment, according to the statement.
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