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German FM suggests troops withdrawal be linked with talks progress
Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Tuesday the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan should be tied to progress in intra-Afghan negotiations rather than “slavishly” bound to the end-of-April deadline as per the US-Taliban agreement.
Speaking at an event organized by Die Zeit and three other German newspapers, Maas said: “Our fear is that the Taliban could use this as a reason to leave the peace talks and seek a military solution.”
“So our approach is to say that we must couple both processes, the withdrawal of foreign forces with the peace negotiations,” Maas added.
“We don’t have to hang on slavishly to the date of the end of April — these things must be linked and when the peace negotiations are concluded successfully, the time will have come to withdraw foreign troops.”
Maas said an agreement will have to be sought with the US, the Afghan government and the Taliban on the matter.
Germany is the second-biggest contributor to NATO’s Resolute Support training and assistance mission in Afghanistan, after the United States.
This comes amid growing concern that the peace talks in Doha have stalled as little progress has been made in almost a month.
Earlier this week, the Afghan Republic’s negotiating team claimed the Taliban are not currently participating. Instead, Taliban negotiators have been visiting officials this week in Iran.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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