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West should refrain from blocking steps to improve regional cooperation with Afghanistan: ICG
Western countries should refrain from blocking efforts to improve regional cooperation with Afghanistan, the International Crisis Group said in a report on Tuesday.
The group said that as most of the world shuns the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) over women’s and girls’ rights, countries in the region around Afghanistan are dealing with the Islamic Emirate to address their needs for security and economic stability.
Regional airlines want to resume flights to Kabul but have not done so because the radar system at the airport is deemed unsafe. Regional diplomats complain that new equipment has been purchased but remains stuck in Europe due to sanctions, ICG said.
It added that regional banks want to facilitate transactions with Afghanistan, but U.S. banks often forbid them from doing so.
“Western donors discussing development policy options for Afghanistan should also involve governments from the region in their deliberations – even if regional actors are not donors themselves, decisions made in such meetings can bear directly on their economic wellbeing as well,” the report said.
According to the group, many steps toward regional cooperation do not involve Western donors, but those countries have a stake in the results. “Europeans, especially, would benefit from a stable, self-sufficient region that is not a major source of illegal drugs, migrants or terrorism.”
ICG said that many regional countries have welcomed the appointment of IEA envoys in their capitals, claiming that such representation does not amount to implicit or explicit recognition, but it is a “technical” prerequisite for managing co-existence with Afghanistan.
“These working-level relationships are likely to proliferate. It is even possible that, in the future, some countries could break with the Western-led consensus and officially recognise the regime,” it said.
The report comes a day after Kabul hosted a meeting of diplomats from 11 neighboring and regional countries and proposed establishing a “region-centric narrative aimed at developing regional cooperation for a positive and constructive engagement between Afghanistan and regional countries.”
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Kabir urges Panjshiris to encourage their sons in exile to return home
Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, the political deputy prime minister, urged Panjshir residents to encourage their sons living in neighboring countries to return home as the Islamic Emirate has no enmity with anyone.
At a gathering in Panjshir, attended by senior IEA officials, Kabir said that there is currently no space for ethnic and linguistic discrimination as well as hypocrisy in Afghanistan.
He stressed that all Afghans should work together for the construction, development and prosperity of the country.
According to him, IEA’s political and commercial relations with the world are secure and the government is committed to the development and reconstruction of Afghanistan and is doing its best to gain self-sufficiency.
At this gathering, the IEA’s minister of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, said that illegal acts in the country have reached zero and that Daesh does not exist in the country. He also said the people of Panjshir will not be deceived by biased people.
“Currently, there is no corruptor and there is no Daesh fighter in Afghanistan, and no one can provide proof [of their existence]. We are one nation. Our religion and beliefs are one,” said Hanafi.
Some residents of Panjshir also said that they support the Islamic Emirate and will share their challenges with the authorities.
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Minister of Mines and Petroleum visits Mes Aynak copper mine
Shahabuddin Delawar, Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum, visited the Mes Aynak copper mine area on Wednesday during a trip to Logar province.
According to the ministry, Delawar was accompanied by Khairullah Khairkhaw, Acting Minister of Information and Culture; Zhao Xing, Chinese Ambassador to Kabul; Ziaul Rahman Madani, Governor of Logar; and the deputy minister of energy and water.
The ministry said Delawar and his accompanying delegation visited various areas of Mes Aynak copper mine and Mes Aynak archaeological sites to evaluate progress of work being done on the mine.
Officials of MCC, the company with the contract to mine the copper, also provided an update on work being carried out including an update on the road that will soon be built.
“Most of the problems of the project have been solved and we are ready to start the practical work of the project, and with the practical start of the [Mes] Aynak copper mine project, there will be no damage to the ancient monuments in the area.”
The Acting Minister of Information and Culture also discussed the need to preserve and protect relics at the archeological site and assured the delegation of the ministry’s cooperation.
The deputy minister of energy and water also assured all present of a consistent supply of electricity and water for the mine.
Mes Aynak is the location of Afghanistan’s largest copper deposit, however it also contains artifacts recovered from the Bronze Age, and some of the artifacts recovered have dated back over 3000 years.
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The first flight of Afghan pilgrims leaves for Saudi Arabia
The Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs says that the process of transferring Hajj pilgrims from Afghanistan to Saudi Arabia has started.
According to the ministry, about 230 Hajj pilgrims left on Wednesday, May 8, on the first flight to Medina.
The acting minister Noor Mohammad Saqib, said at a departure ceremony for the Afghan pilgrims that this year, in order to provide better services to Hajj pilgrims, the employees of the working committees have been sent to Saudi Arabia earlier than in previous years.
At the same time, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs Abdul Salam Hanafi, said to the pilgrims during the ceremony: “Dear pilgrims, you are the representatives of the Afghan people in Saudi Arabia, so do this representation well.”
Hanafi added that with the efforts of the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, as in previous years, all Hajj activities this year have been prepared in an orderly manner.
Earlier, the acting minister announced that this year’s quota for Afghan pilgrims will be 30,000.
Ariana Afghan Airlines and Kam Air are the official carriers of pilgrims this year.
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