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Australia agrees on increased US air deployments in Australia
Australia and the United States have reached new force posture agreements that will see greater air cooperation through rotational deployments of all types of U.S. military aircraft to Australia, Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton said on Thursday.
Speaking at a joint news conference after meetings between the U.S. and Australian foreign and defense ministers in Washington, Dutton said the two sides would be “significantly enhancing our force posture cooperation, increasing interoperability and deepening alliance activities in the Indo-Pacific.”
“This will include greater air cooperation through rotational deployments of all types of U.S. military aircraft to Australia,” he said.
“We’ve also established combined logistics sustainment and capability for maintenance to support our enhanced activities, including logistics and sustainment capability for our submarines and surface combatants in Australia.”
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the meeting had endorsed “major force posture initiatives that will expand our access and presence in Australia.”
Dutton and Austin spoke a day after the United States and Britain said they would provide Australia with the technology and capability to deploy nuclear-powered submarines.
China on Thursday denounced the new Indo-Pacific security alliance between the United States, Britain, and Australia, saying such partnerships should not target third countries and warning of an intensified arms race in the region.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said France was a “vital partner” in the Indo-Pacific region and that Washington would continue to cooperate with Paris, comments that appeared aimed at calming French anger after the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom clinched the historic defense export contract to supply Australia with submarines.
The three countries announced on Wednesday they would establish a security partnership for the Indo-Pacific that will help Australia acquire U.S. nuclear-powered submarines and scrap the $40 billion French-designed submarine deal.
France has reacted angrily to the loss of the deal, calling it a “stab in the back.”
Speaking at a news conference after meetings between the U.S. and Australian foreign and defense ministers in Washington, Blinken said Washington had been in touch with its French counterparts before the announcement of the submarine deal.
In 2016 Australia had selected French shipbuilder Naval Group to build a new submarine fleet worth $40 billion to replace its more than two-decades-old Collins submarines.
The United States and its allies are looking for ways to push back against China’s growing power and influence, particularly its military buildup, pressure on Taiwan and deployments in the contested South China Sea.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani, has urged the Afghan authorities to take concrete action against militant threats that Islamabad says originate from Afghan soil.
Speaking at an event at the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul marking the first anniversary of Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos against India, Nizamani reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to maintaining “brotherly ties” with Afghanistan.
The ambassador also highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts in reducing tensions between Iran and the United States, saying Islamabad’s initiatives reflected its commitment to regional and global peace.
During the ceremony, Nizamani reaffirmed Pakistan’s determination to defend itself against any aggression.
“Pakistan’s desire for peace must never be mistaken for weakness,” the ambassador said, calling for heightened vigilance against regional threats.
Pakistani officials have consistently claimed that militants use Afghan soil to attack Pakistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has denied this claim and said that Afghanistan is not responsible for Pakistan’s security failures.
The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan has signed a five-year contract for the extraction of gold at a mine in Qala-e-Zal district of Kunduz province, with an investment valued at more than $20 million.
According to the ministry, the agreement was signed on Sunday by Hedayatullah Badri, Afghanistan’s Minister of Mines and Petroleum, in the presence of the ambassadors of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan.
The project covers an area of approximately 5.97 square kilometers and is expected to attract an investment of $20.24 million.
Under the terms of the agreement, the company responsible for the project has pledged to pay a 30 percent royalty to the Afghan government and allocate $200,000 toward social development and public service initiatives in the area.
Officials said the project is also expected to generate employment opportunities for around 100 people through both direct and indirect jobs.
The ministry described the agreement as part of ongoing efforts to attract domestic and foreign investment into Afghanistan’s mining sector, which authorities view as a key driver of economic growth and regional cooperation.
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Afghan officials join ICESCO meeting, discuss preservation of Islamic manuscripts
Participants underscored the importance of safeguarding these documents, noting that the focus on Mali reflects the manuscripts’ unique cultural and historical value.
Officials from the Ministry of Information and Culture participated in an online scientific meeting organised by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), focused on the preservation of Islamic manuscripts.
Obaidullah Hanif, Director of the National Archive, and Mohammad Shafiq Ahmadzai, Head of Foreign Relations and Cultural Attachés at the ministry, joined the session held by ICESCO’s Centre for Calligraphy and Manuscripts under the theme “Islamic Manuscripts in the World.”
The meeting examined the condition of Islamic manuscripts in Mali and discussed strategies for their preservation and protection as part of global cultural heritage.
ICESCO representatives highlighted that Mali’s extensive collection of hundreds of thousands of historical manuscripts represents one of the most significant repositories of Islamic civilisation and intellectual history in West Africa.
Participants underscored the importance of safeguarding these documents, noting that the focus on Mali reflects the manuscripts’ unique cultural and historical value.
ICESCO is an intergovernmental organization specializing in the fields of education, science and culture.
Pakistan ambassador urges Afghan authorities to act against militant threats
Afghanistan signs $20 million contract for gold mining in Kunduz
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Saar: Afghanistan’s relations with the world discussed
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New Afghanistan-China transport corridor launched via Turkmenistan
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Tahawol: Afghanistan and Uzbekistan’s growing economic ties discussed
Saar: Afghanistan’s relations with the world discussed
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Saar: Problems and challenges of Afghan refugees in the world discussed
Tawsia: Discussion on Afghanistan’s economic path and position
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