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Khalilzad warns Afghan leaders against repeating past failures on Independence Day
Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, used the occasion of Afghanistan’s 106th Independence Day to issue a pointed warning to the country’s political elite.
In a message shared on X on Tuesday (August 19), he accused former Afghan leaders of seeking to revive their past privileges by falling back into the same mistakes that contributed to Afghanistan’s crises over the past two decades.
“Former leaders and elites who failed to seize major opportunities over the past two decades are now seeking ways to repeat their past mistakes and regain their former privileges,” Khalilzad wrote, stressing that Afghanistan’s future requires “a fundamental change in mindset.”
Khalilzad, who played a central role in negotiating the 2020 Doha Agreement between the United States and the Islamic Emirate, noted that the country has seen some improvements in recent years in areas such as security, counter-narcotics efforts, and infrastructure development.
However, he cautioned that these limited gains are overshadowed by deep economic hardship and the continued exclusion of women and girls from education and public life.
His comments come as Afghan political figures prepare to meet in Pakistan, a gathering Khalilzad has repeatedly dismissed as ineffective.
He argued that such conferences have historically produced little more than political posturing, without addressing the realities faced by Afghans inside the country.
Afghanistan marked its independence from British influence on August 19, 1919. The anniversary is traditionally celebrated as a moment of national pride.
Sadin Ayyıldız, the new head of Turkey’s diplomatic mission in Kabul, met in an introductory visit with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate, to discuss the development of bilateral relations between the two countries.
During the meeting, Ayyıldız described relations between Afghanistan and Turkey as positive and emphasized the expansion of cooperation in economic and health fields, the Afghan Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
Muttaqi also wished Ayyildiz success, described Turkey as a close friend of Afghanistan, and assessed bilateral relations as being on a path of progress.
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Afghan, Indonesian sports officials discuss expanding cooperation
Indonesian officials said the deputy minister plans to visit Afghanistan in the future to further advance cooperation.
Ahmadullah Wasiq, head of Afghanistan’s National Olympic and Physical Education Committee, met Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Taufiq Hidayat, during an official visit to Indonesia held alongside the Asian Cup competitions.
The talks focused on strengthening sports cooperation, including improving access for Afghan athletes living in Indonesia to local leagues and training camps.
Hidayat described the meeting as a positive step toward closer sporting ties and stressed the need for continued engagement.
Afghanistan’s ambassador to Indonesia, Saadullah Baloch, also attended the meeting, highlighting the role of sports diplomacy in bilateral relations. Indonesian officials said the deputy minister plans to visit Afghanistan in the future to further advance cooperation.
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UNAMA: Afghanistan ranks among highest for explosive ordnance casualties
UNAMA stressed that greater awareness and coordinated action are essential to saving lives and improving safety across Afghanistan.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has warned that Afghanistan is the world’s third most affected country in terms of casualties from explosive ordnance, with landmines and unexploded remnants of war still widespread.
UNAMA said children account for around 80 percent of victims, many of whom are injured or killed while playing near unexploded devices.
The mission reaffirmed its support for funding NGOs involved in mine clearance and community awareness, noting that these groups work daily to remove deadly remnants of conflict and educate communities about the risks.
UNAMA stressed that greater awareness and coordinated action are essential to saving lives and improving safety across Afghanistan.
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