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Afghanistan, Qatar sign air services MoU
The Ministry of Transport of Qatar said in a statement that the MoU will increase air traffic rights between the two countries.
Afghanistan and Qatar signed an air services Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday.
The Ministry of Transport of Qatar said in a statement that the MoU will increase air traffic rights between the two countries.
“The MoU comes in the context of connecting the State of Qatar with more air services agreements, allowing for its national carrier to expand its network of destinations around the world,” the statement said.
The MoU was signed by Abdul Salam Haidari, Deputy Minister of Transport and Aviation of Afghanistan, and Mohammed Faleh Al-Hajri, in charge of managing the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority.
In a post on X, Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority said: “A bilateral meeting was held this morning (Monday) between the civil aviation authorities of both Qatar and Afghanistan.”
“The talks focused on ways to enhance cooperation in the field of air transport between the two countries and addressed various topics of mutual interest in the field of civil aviation,” the post read.
This development comes amid an increase in overflights over Afghanistan in the past two months.
Data shows that airlines have been diverting flights over Afghanistan in order to avoid Iranian airspace and the growing conflict in the Middle East.
FlightRadar24 showed 132 over-flights of Afghanistan on 29 September. On 2 October, the day after Iran attacked Israel, the number of Afghan over-flights rose to 176.
On 6 October, the daily number had steadily risen to 222.
FlightRadar24, on Monday evening, at 7.40pm Kabul time, showed a Lufthansa flight and two Singapore Airlines flights using Afghanistan’s airspace.
The data did not show a breakdown of which airlines were using Afghan airspace but British Airways flights have in recent days been recorded on FlightRadar24 as flying over Afghanistan.
Many airlines had started routing through Iran and the Middle East after Russian and Ukrainian skies were closed to most Western carriers when the Ukraine war began in 2022.
However, air traffic control for carriers flying over Afghanistan has not been available since the US forces withdrew from the country in 2021. Instead, airlines have to rely on guidelines from regulators.
Matiul Haq Khalis, Director General of Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA), left for Baku on Friday at the head of an official delegation to participate in the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13), a major international gathering focused on sustainable urban development and environmental challenges.
The forum, organized by UN-Habitat, is scheduled to take place from May 17 to 22 in the Azerbaijani capital under the theme “Housing for All: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities.”
According to Afghan officials, the delegation will participate in a series of technical meetings and discussions on climate change, environmental protection in urban areas, sustainable development, waste management, green cities, air pollution control and strengthening urban resilience.
The World Urban Forum is regarded as one of the world’s leading platforms on urbanization and environmental policy, bringing together government officials, mayors, international organizations, climate experts and development institutions from across the globe.
On the sidelines of the event, Khalis and accompanying officials are also expected to meet with representatives of international organizations, donor agencies and foreign governments to discuss environmental cooperation, technical support and future joint initiatives.
Afghanistan’s environmental authority described participation in the forum as an important opportunity to expand international engagement, exchange experiences and seek practical solutions to the country’s growing environmental and urban challenges.
The visit comes as Afghanistan faces increasing concerns over climate-related risks, rapid urbanization, air pollution and environmental degradation, issues that officials say require broader regional and international cooperation.
Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), told a U.S. Senate committee on Thursday that Afghanistan remains a major focus for Washington in terms of terrorist activity and regional security threats.
Speaking during a hearing before lawmakers, Cooper said Afghanistan continues to be “on the forefront” of U.S. monitoring efforts regarding militant groups.
“Afghanistan remains on the forefront of what we are watching in terms of terrorist activity,” he told the committee.
The CENTCOM commander added that the United States is working closely with regional partners to contain and suppress potential threats emerging from Afghanistan.
The remarks come as U.S. officials continue to express concerns over the presence of militant groups in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of American forces from the country in 2021.
The Islamic Emirate, however, has denied presence of militant groups in Afghanistan, emphasizing that it will not allow Afghan soil to be used against any other country.
Amir Khan Muttaqi, foreign minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), met on Thursday with Johannes Bruwer, the newly appointed head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and received a copy of his credentials.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that during the meeting, Muttaqi described relations between Afghanistan and the ICRC as historic, congratulated Bruwer on the start of his mission in Afghanistan, wished him success, and assured him of full cooperation in advancing humanitarian efforts.
Muttaqi also praised the services of Katharina Ritz, the outgoing head of the organization, and commended the activities carried out during her mission in Afghanistan. He also wished her success in her future responsibilities.
For his part, Bruwer expressed pleasure over the beginning of his mission in Afghanistan and pledged to continue providing humanitarian services in close coordination with the relevant institutions of the Islamic Emirate during his tenure.
Meanwhile, Ritz thanked the institutions of the Islamic Emirate for their cooperation and support throughout her mission and described her tenure as full of achievements and positive memories.
At the end of the meeting, both sides emphasized the expansion of bilateral cooperation in humanitarian affairs and the strengthening of mutual engagement.
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