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Key actors vow to speed up intra-Afghan talks
The United States, Russia, China, and Pakistan have vowed to speed up the Intra-Afghan Talks process.
The new envoys and representatives of the United States, Russia, China, and Pakistan, spoke at a video conference on speeding up the release of Afghan and Taliban prisoners and voting to begin negotiations between the government and the Taliban as soon as possible.
Russia’s special envoy to Afghanistan has said that initial steps had been taken to start direct talks.
“The main result is we will do our utmost together to speed up the exchange of prisoners of war between Kabul and the Taliban and to promote intra-Afghan talks,” the Russian special envoy in Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov said.
He added, “The exchange process is on. It is slower than we would like it to be, but it is continuing and now the need has emerged to hold a preliminary discussion of further steps.”
The Presidential Spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said, “Considerable reduction in violence or ceasefire will lead us to take further steps to start direct talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government. We hope the Taliban enter a new phase.”
The European Union, the British Embassy, and some other European representatives in Kabul have also issued a joint statement urging the government and the Taliban to grant a constructive role for women throughout the peace process.
The statement also stressed the need for the government to announce the time for the Intra-Afghan talks as soon as possible.
Ghulam Farooq Majrooh, a member of the government’s negotiating team, said: “The negotiating team is fully prepared to start negotiations. It is up to the leaders to determine the time and place, and we will be ready to negotiate whenever they say.”
Earlier, sources said that the first round of talks between the Afghans is scheduled to take place on June 15, 11 days later, but sources close to the Taliban have said that talks would not begin unless all 5,000 Taliban prisoners are released.
“The Taliban’s stance so far is that Intra-Afghan talks will begin after the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners, according to the list,” said Khalil Safi, head of the Afghan Institute for Peace Studies.
The National Security Council said in a statement that the government had released 2,710 Taliban prisoners and that the list of prisoners released by the Taliban was under investigation.
Since then, there have been no further releases by either side – progress in the matter will spark the beginning of negotiations.
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UNDP, UN Women launch financing initiative for Afghan women entrepreneurs
UN Women Special Representative Susan Ferguson said expanding women’s access to finance was critical to enabling women-led businesses to grow.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Women have launched a joint initiative to expand access to finance and business support for Afghan women entrepreneurs.
The Afghanistan Women’s Fund for Resilient Enterprises (AWFRE) will provide Sharia-compliant, collateral-free financing alongside financial and digital literacy training, mentoring, business planning and support to access markets.
An initial joint investment of $1.7 million will support about 1,500 women entrepreneurs over the next year, indirectly benefiting more than 14,000 people through stronger businesses, household incomes and economic activity.
The initiative comes amid a significant financing gap for Afghan women entrepreneurs. Fewer than 7% of women in Afghanistan have a bank account or use mobile money services, leaving many women-led businesses dependent on personal savings, loans from family and friends, or the sale of personal assets.
More Afghan women are turning to entrepreneurship to earn income and support their families. More than 10,000 Afghan women now hold business licences, around ten times the number five years ago, while the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce estimates another 120,000 are trading without licences.
“The challenge for Afghan women entrepreneurs is not a lack of enterprise, but limited access to the finance, skills and networks they need to grow,” said Turhan Saleh, UNDP Resident Representative in Afghanistan.
UN Women Special Representative Susan Ferguson said expanding women’s access to finance was critical to enabling women-led businesses to grow.
“Afghan women are finding ways to build businesses, despite the many obstacles they face,” Ferguson said. “Expanding access to finance can help women entrepreneurs turn their ideas and skills into stronger businesses, more jobs and greater economic security for their families and communities.”
UNDP and UN Women are seeking an additional $10 million to expand the programme, which would allow another 10,000 women entrepreneurs to access financing and business support and indirectly benefit an estimated 70,000 people.
The initiative aims to help women entrepreneurs expand their businesses, access new markets and develop more sustainable sources of income.
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.
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