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Afghanistan marks 100 years of diplomatic ties with Turkey
Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Afghanistan and Turkey on Monday, Afghan Foreign Minister Haneef Atmar said that Turkey has had a key role in the country’s reconstruction and joint counter-terrorism efforts post-2001.
Addressing an event to mark the occasion Atmar said he hopes Turkey will maintain its sincere cooperation with the peace efforts in Afghanistan.
“As we celebrate the centennial of the establishment of our diplomatic relations, we wish to further develop our cooperation in every aspect in this special year; hope that the ongoing violence in Afghanistan comes to an end and lasting peace and calm will prevail in the country,” Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said that so far, Turkey has made comprehensive contributions to Afghanistan both on a bilateral level and through the efforts of the UN and NATO.
“Turkey’s development assistance program for Afghanistan is currently one of the largest assistance programs towards a country,” read the ministry’s statement.
The diplomatic and political relations of Turkey and Afghanistan commenced on March 1, 1921 through the signing of Turkey-Afghanistan Alliance Agreement.
Afghanistan at the time became the second country to recognize the Turkish Grand National Assembly of the time, which had been struggling to counter aggressive invasions of the Allied Powers.
Meanwhile the Turkish Embassy in Kabul was the first diplomatic mission in Kabul. This distinguished friendship, extracted from kinship, brotherhood and sisterhood, promoted the relations through the following decades.
This comes after Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan submitted a motion to parliament at the end of last year to extend the deployment of Turkish troops in Afghanistan for 18 months as part of NATO’s support mission, according to sources.
Turkey has about 1,200 soldiers in Afghanistan under the NATO mission.
“Turkey, which has deep friendship and brotherhood ties with Afghanistan, has always backed the unity, integrity and independence of Afghanistan,” the statement read.
The motion will be debated in parliament after December 18, as local media Anadolu Agency reported.
During the meeting, Minister Haqqani described Ambassador Zhao Xing’s tenure in Afghanistan as effective and praised his positive contribution to strengthening relations between Afghanistan and China.
Ambassador Zhao Xing, in turn, expressed his appreciation to the leadership of the Ministry of Interior Affairs for their cooperation and support throughout his tenure in Afghanistan.
The Chinese ambassador underscored the importance of the historic relations between Afghanistan and China and expressed hope that bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries would continue to expand in the future.
Several Afghan doctors and medical staff have been stopped from working at Northwest General Hospital and Research Centre (NWGH) in Peshawar due to visa-related issues, according to Pakistani freelance journalist Tahir Khan.
Khan reported on Monday that the affected Afghan medical workers had applied for visa extensions, but their applications have yet to be approved.
A September 2 circular issued by the Human Resource Department of Alliance Healthcare (Pvt.) Ltd. directed Afghan nationals without valid visas to discontinue their duties with immediate effect.
According to the circular, the employees can resume work after submitting valid visa documentation and completing the required verification process.
An NWGH doctor told Khan that several Afghan doctors and other medical staff had previously been working at the hospital with valid visas but have now been suspended while their visa-extension applications remain pending.
The development comes a week after the Lahore High Court suspended the operation of directives issued by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council ordering Afghan medical students to return to Afghanistan.
The reported suspension of Afghan medical staff at the Peshawar hospital has raised concerns among affected doctors, who say they remain unable to work while awaiting decisions on their visa applications.
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Mujahid: Afghanistan’s reconstruction must rely on domestic investment
Mujahid added that Afghanistan’s long-term development should ultimately be driven by the efforts, capital and resources of Afghans themselves.
Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid says Afghanistan’s reconstruction should be driven by the country’s own resources, domestic investment and Afghan businesses rather than dependence on foreign aid and projects.
Mujahid said several countries, including the former Soviet Union and the United States, had implemented reconstruction and development projects in Afghanistan over the past decades while pursuing their own objectives and interests.
He said although some projects were completed, they were not sufficient to meet Afghanistan’s needs, while the country also suffered significant losses during periods of foreign involvement.
Mujahid stressed that Afghan traders and investors should play a central role in rebuilding the country and advancing economic growth.
According to him, the Islamic Emirate is working to encourage Afghan businesspeople to invest inside Afghanistan and contribute to reconstruction and development.
He said domestic investment is essential for strengthening Afghanistan’s economy and achieving greater self-reliance.
Mujahid added that Afghanistan’s long-term development should ultimately be driven by the efforts, capital and resources of Afghans themselves.
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