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Iran’s Qomi to attend Doha meeting, slams ‘unilateral’ approaches by ‘big powers’
Hassan Kazemi Qomi, the special envoy of the Iranian president for Afghanistan affairs, has confirmed he will attend Monday’s meeting on Afghanistan set to be held in Doha and hosted by the United Nations’ secretary general.
In an interview with the Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) he said Iran’s stance at the meeting will be based on a “deep understanding of the realities and requirements” of the Afghanistan government and its people.
He said: “We strongly and openly criticize the unilateral approaches adopted by big powers and international organizations.”
Referring to similarities between Iran and Afghanistan’s people, Qomi said that Iran opposes the sanctions leveled against Afghanistan and urged the UN to take into account the humanitarian situation in the country.
“In our opinion, the view of humanitarian issues by the United Nations should not be gendered[-based],” he said, adding: “We are extremely frightened that this path will cause the Security Council to impose more sanctions this autumn and winter with different reasons based on Chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter.”
“As you will see, our stance in Doha will be based on facts and principles that are not necessarily favored by the big powers,” Qomi said, adding, “… we believe that every government should independently defend the legitimate rights of its nation based on reasonable arguments and in a responsible way in accordance with international laws and rules. This policy could have been seen by the international community during our nuclear talks when we defended our nuclear rights under the NPT. Obviously, we hope that Afghanistan will succeed in the path of legitimate defense with an independent position and playing a responsible role. That way, we will be a supporter and consultant to them [Afghans].”
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is scheduled to host a two-day meeting Monday and Tuesday in Doha, Qatar, which will bring together a number of special envoys on Afghanistan.
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Islamic Emirate releases American prisoner Dennis Coyle
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan announced on Tuesday the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle from prison.
According to the ministry, Coyle’s mother had written to the leader of the Islamic Emirate demanding amnesty and the release of her son on the occasion of Eid. The Supreme Court considered time served sufficient and decided to release him.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this action was carried out on the basis of humanitarianism and good faith, and it believes that such measures can strengthen trust between countries. The ministry also expressed hope that both countries, in the future, can find solutions to remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue.
The Islamic Emirate also expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the United Arab Emirates in this matter.
Separately, for Coyle’s release, an American delegation, including Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Tuesday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate.
The meeting was also attended by Saif Mohammed Al-Ketbi, Ambassador of the UAE in Kabul, and a member of the prisoner’s family.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi stated that the Islamic Emirate has not detained any citizen of any country to achieve political objectives; rather, detentions were the result of legal violations, and individuals were released after completing judicial procedures.
At the meeting, Khalilzad praised the action of the Islamic Emirate and emphasized the importance of continuing discussions on all issues between the two countries, expressing hope for further progress in the future.
Muttaqi also stressed that Kabul and the UAE should provide standard consular services to their citizens, and that the Afghan government is fully prepared in this regard.
He thanked Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for their constructive role in facilitating the release of the prisoner and referred to the UAE as a close friend of Afghanistan.
Earlier, Muttaqi had also praised the role of the State of Qatar in facilitating information exchange between the Islamic Emirate and the prisoner’s family.
Additionally, the UAE ambassador expressed his country’s readiness to play a role in humanitarian institutions and called such developments beneficial for everyone.
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UK announces additional £3 million in aid for vulnerable people in Afghanistan
The United Kingdom has announced an additional £3 million (AFN 257 million) in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, aimed at supporting people affected by natural disasters and other shocks.
Richard Lindsay, in a post on X, said the funding will be used to provide essential nutrition supplies and related support to vulnerable populations.
The new allocation brings the UK’s total bilateral assistance to Afghanistan for the current financial year to £154 million (AFN 13.18 billion).
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Around 2.3 million tourists visited Afghanistan’s recreational areas during Eid: Ghufran
Khubaib Ghufran, spokesperson for the Ministry of Information and Culture, announced on Tuesday that over Eid al-Fitr holidays approximately 2.3 million domestic and foreign tourists visited the country’s recreational areas and natural attractions.
Ghufran said this level of tourist presence shows a significant increase compared to previous years and indicates growth and strengthening of the tourism sector.
Meanwhile, officials from the ministry’s departments, while emphasizing public cooperation in preserving the environment, maintaining cleanliness in public places, and protecting tourist attractions, stated that through extensive cooperation and efforts by security institutions, tourists were able to travel to different parts of the country with full confidence during the Eid holidays.
According to Ghufran, the Ministry of Information and Culture is working to develop and strengthen the tourism sector across the country and to provide more facilities and conveniences for tourists.
However, some tourists who traveled to various provinces praised the order, security, and hospitality of the people. They said that all provinces of Afghanistan have always been beautiful, but this year, with the current level of security and tourism facilities, their trips have become even more memorable.
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