Connect with us

Latest News

China’s Foreign Minister calls for regional unity to stamp out terrorism

Published

on

(Last Updated On: )

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday called on all parties attending the 9th Ministerial Conference of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process in Tajikistan to join forces and increase the fight against “terrorist organizations like Al-Qaida, ISIS and the ETIM until they are completely eliminated”.

He also stated that “foreign troops should withdraw from Afghanistan in a responsible and orderly way, so as to prevent the various terrorist forces from ramping up and creating trouble”.

He noted that he believes all parties attending share a strong desire and firm resolve to advance peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.

Wang said with the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan standing at a crucial juncture, there is a rare, historic opportunity for a political settlement of the Afghan issue.

“In this sense, the theme of this Conference, ‘Strengthening Consensus for Peace and Development’, is most fitting and meaningful. Peace is an urgent priority and a prerequisite for development; development is a perpetual pursuit and a guarantee for peace.”

He said the Istanbul Process involves all of Afghanistan’s neighbors and major countries in the region, as well as many international players supportive of the Process an in line with this “China expects all parties to deepen cooperation in the following three areas:

“First, sustaining the momentum of peace talks and reconciliation in Afghanistan.

“The Afghan issue can only be resolved by political means, and the future of Afghanistan should be kept in the hands of the Afghan people.”

Wang said the Afghan people must stay confident and patient, and strive for broad-based, inclusive and durable peace through sincere dialogue and negotiations.

International supporting parties should abide by the “Afghan-led, Afghan-owned” principle, put aside self-interests, uphold fairness and justice, and contribute more positive energy to the peace and reconciliation process, he said.

Second, he said while Afghanistan has made big strides in economic and social development in recent years, “it lacks internal drivers of growth”.

“Currently, the implementation of the China-Afghanistan MOU on Belt and Road cooperation is well underway, and China has provided several billion yuan in grant to Afghanistan.”

He also noted that China had helped during the COVID-19 pandemic,and that it will soon provide free vaccines to Afghanistan.

His third point was on terrorism which he said was a serious challenge for countries in the region and a common enemy of humanity.

“It will be ill-advised to follow double standards in counter-terrorism, as they will backfire at the end of the day. All parties need to join forces and double down on fighting terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda, ISIS and the ETIM until they are completely eliminated.

“Foreign troops should withdraw from Afghanistan in a responsible and orderly way, so as to prevent the various terrorist forces from ramping up and creating trouble. In this context, China will continue to strengthen coordination and deepen cooperation with all other parties concerned,” he said.

In conclusion he noted that China will continue to do its best to support, mediate and facilitate Afghanistan’s peace and reconciliation process.

Latest News

Engagement and diplomacy key to solving Afghanistan’s challenges, says Ratwatte

Published

on

(Last Updated On: )

Indrika Ratwatte, Deputy UN Special Representative for Afghanistan, says the solution to Afghanistan’s problems is engagement and diplomatic dialogue.

In an exclusive interview with Ariana News, Ratwatte emphasized that the United Nations has never stated that the situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating.

“I believe engagement is the solution. In any situation where parties may have differing views, sitting at the table, putting the issues on the table, discussing them, and reaching a middle ground is key—a path that addresses the needs and expectations of all sides through a principled process of engagement,” said Ratwatte.

However, he added that Afghanistan still ranks second globally in terms of humanitarian needs, even though there is no active conflict in the country.

He shared data indicating that currently, 23 million people in Afghanistan are in need of humanitarian assistance. In his view, the global humanitarian landscape poses challenges to delivering aid to Afghanistan.

“When you look at the global humanitarian landscape and the major crises around the world, Afghanistan still ranks second in terms of humanitarian needs. First is Sudan, which clearly has an ongoing active conflict. Here in Afghanistan, there is no conflict, but the humanitarian needs remain widespread. For example, it appears that around 23 million people need some form of humanitarian aid,” he added.

Ratwatte also told Ariana News that the recent restrictions imposed by the Islamic Emirate on women attending health institutes pose a serious challenge, particularly given Afghanistan’s high maternal and infant mortality rates.

He added that UN officials have shared their concerns with the IEA about the future of Afghanistan without trained nurses and midwives.

“Afghanistan has one of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates. So, educating and supporting female healthcare workers is vital. This, I believe, is a major challenge. As we discussed with the authorities, the recent restriction on women attending health institutions was troubling,” Ratwatte stressed.

Meanwhile, he also stated that the return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan is a major concern for the United Nations.

According to him, since December 2023, more than 800,000 people have returned from Pakistan, and hundreds more have come back from Iran.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Iran hands over nearly 200 Afghan inmates to IEA

Published

on

(Last Updated On: )

The Director General of the Office of Prisons Administration, Mohammad Yusuf Mestri, says nearly 200 Afghan prisoners, who had been arrested in Iran for various crimes, were handed over on Friday to the Islamic Emirate through the Silk Bridge border crossing.

Mestri added that as part of the prisoner handover process, a total of 484 Afghan prisoners detained in Iran for different offenses will be transferred to the Islamic Emirate following negotiations.

He stated that the transfer process officially began on Friday with the handover of 199 Afghan inmates, each of whom will be sent to their respective provinces to serve the remainder of their sentences.

Meanwhile, two Iranian prisoners were also handed over to Iranian authorities last night as a gesture of “goodwill and positive engagement.”

Continue Reading

Latest News

Azizi and Ishaq Dar discuss bilateral issues in Islamabad

Published

on

(Last Updated On: )

Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi and his accompanying delegation met with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, in Islamabad to discuss bilateral issues.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, both sides discussed the development of bilateral relations, the dignified return of Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan, the growth of trade, and the facilitation of the transit process.

During the meeting, the Afghan delegation emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation between the two countries to improve the economic situation and called for further facilitation in exports and imports.

“The (Afghan) side raised with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister the issues of halting forced deportations of refugees until a suitable time is provided, arbitrary detentions, the expulsion of refugee students from schools in Pakistan, the provision of necessary facilities for the transfer of Afghan refugees’ belongings and assets, and unobstructed access to health and medical services,” said Abdulsalam Jawad Akhundzada, a spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

Akhundzada added: “This meeting was held within the framework of joint efforts to address the challenges faced by Afghan refugees and to improve trade and transit relations between the two countries.”

Azizi also met with Pakistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry officials to encourage investment.

He emphasized expanding economic cooperation between the two countries and urged Pakistani traders and industrialists to invest in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, members of Afghanistan’s private sector also consider the Islamic Emirate’s efforts to expand economic relations with Pakistan as important.

This visit by the IEA delegation to Pakistan comes shortly after Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, also visited Kabul two days earlier.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025 Ariana News. All rights reserved!