Latest News
US special envoy notes a $2 billion shortfall in aid to Afghanistan this year
The US special representative for Afghanistan says this year, foreign aid to Afghanistan is considerably less – a “shortfall” of $2 billion.
In an interview with BBC, Thomas West said: “Our judgment is that in this year, 2023, we face a roughly $2 billion hole, a shortfall in the assistance that needs to be delivered in order to meet the most urgent needs of Afghans, in order to keep the currency stable, in order to help to keep the economy relatively liquid.”
“Now that assistance, that $2 billion, it doesn’t just come from the United States. It would need to come from some of our closest like-minded partners as well. And collectively I think there is a deep concern that that assistance cannot and should not be delivered absent a significant change in the Taliban’s conduct,” he said.
West’s comments come amid talks between the IEA and the US in Doha.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the IEA’s spokesman, meanwhile said that the West, especially the US, should not politicize the humanitarian crisis and the aid needed by millions of people in the country.
“Yes, we also feel that there are economic problems all over the world. Some of the problems that have arisen in the world, but the people of Afghanistan need cooperation. The aid given to the people of Afghanistan should be done based on human spirit. And it should not be related to political issues, secondly, we are also trying to revive our resources inside and will not need the help of the world forever,” said Mujahid.
Meanwhile, Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi emphasized before the start of the talks with the American delegation in Doha that applying pressure and sanctions on the Islamic Emirate will not work and that Washington should rather engage with the IEA in the form of dialogue.
Tajik authorities say their border guards clashed with militants who crossed into Tajikistan’s Khatlon region from Afghanistan on Tuesday night.
Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security said in a statement that militants intended to carry out an armed attack on one of the border outposts.
Three militants were killed and two Tajik soldiers died in the clash. From the scene, three firearms—an M-16 rifle and a Kalashnikov assault rifle—three foreign-made pistols equipped with suppressors, ten hand grenades, one night-vision device, explosives, and other military equipment were seized, according to the committee.
This was the third reported attack from Afghanistan into Tajikistan in the past month, with the previous ones targeting Chinese nationals.
The Islamic Emirate previously said it assured Tajikistan it was ready to tighten border security and conduct joint investigations.
Business
Afghanistan’s first aluminum can factory launched in Herat with $120 million investment
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, laid the foundation stone of the “Pamir” aluminum can production company at the industrial parks of Herat on Thursday.
Afghanistan’s first aluminum can manufacturing plant was officially launched on Thursday in Herat province, marking a significant step toward industrial development and economic self-reliance.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, laid the foundation stone of the “Pamir” aluminum can production company at the industrial parks of Herat on Thursday.
According to officials, the Pamir factory is the first of its kind in Afghanistan and is being established with an investment of $120 million. The project will be built on 16 jeribs of land within Herat’s industrial zones.
Once completed, the factory is expected to create employment opportunities for around 1,700 Afghan citizens. Officials say the project will play a key role in boosting domestic production, reducing reliance on imports, and strengthening the national economy.
Authorities described the launch of the project as a clear sign of growing investment in the industrial sector and ongoing efforts to promote economic self-sufficiency in the country.
Latest News
Medvedev: IEA posed less threat to Russia than western-backed groups
He added that such organisations have consistently pursued one objective: “to break apart the multiethnic people of Russia.”
Russia’s Deputy Chairman of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, has said that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) caused less harm to Russia than Western-backed civic organisations that, he claims, sought to undermine the country’s unity.
In an article published in the Russian journal Rodina, Medvedev wrote that while the IEA had long been designated as a terrorist organisation, its actions did not inflict the same level of damage on Russia as what he described as Western-supported institutions operating under the banner of academic or humanitarian work.
“Let us be honest: the Taliban (IEA) movement, long listed as a terrorist organisation, has caused modern Russia far less damage than all those pseudo-scientific institutions whose aim is to dismantle our country under the guise of aiding the oppressed,” Medvedev stated.
He added that such organisations have consistently pursued one objective: “to break apart the multiethnic people of Russia.”
Medvedev’s remarks come amid a shift in Russia’s official stance toward Afghanistan. In April, Russia’s Supreme Court suspended the ban on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which had previously been included on the country’s list of terrorist organisations.
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