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Khalilzad in Kabul as peace talks teams set to resume negotiations
As the Afghan Republic’s negotiating team left Kabul for Doha early Tuesday, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad arrived in Afghanistan to discuss peace process issues with high-ranking government officials.
Khalilzad’s trip to Kabul is part of his regional visit, which will also include a stop in Qatar.
The intra-Afghan negotiations, scheduled to have started Tuesday, in Doha, is the second round of talks between the Republic’s team and the Taliban.
The teams are expected to focus on the agenda of the talks going forward and on a ceasefire.
According to the chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah: “The leadership committee of the High Council for National Reconciliation on Monday evening met with the Afghan Republic negotiators and discussed the latest developments in the peace process and provided the team clear guidelines for the next round of talks.”
He also said the Republic’s team has the full support of the nation and is authorized to discuss the peace agenda.
“We are committed to achieving a lasting peace, and we ask the Taliban to do their part. We are looking for a successful second round,” he said.
On Monday, Khalilzad stated he “returns to Doha and the region with expectations that the parties will make tangible progress in the next round of Afghanistan peace negotiations”.
“Both sides must demonstrate they are acting in the best interest of the Afghan people by making real compromises and negotiating an agreement on a political settlement as soon as possible and an immediate significant reduction in violence/ceasefire,” Khalilzad said.
“The current levels of violence, including targeted killings, is unacceptable. Those perpetuating the violence seek to undermine the peace process and the country’s future. They do not reflect the will of the Afghan people, who yearn for peace,” he said.
On Monday, he met with Pakistani officials including Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
After the meeting, Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated they discussed “matters of mutual interest including overall regional security situation with particular reference to ongoing Afghan reconciliation process.”
Afghanistan’s Minister of Finance, Mohammad Nasir Akhund, has travelled to Iran at the head of a delegation following an official invitation from Iran’s Minister of Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance said.
During the visit, Akhund is expected to meet with various Iranian officials to discuss bilateral economic, trade, customs and other related issues.
The visit will also include discussions on key topics for an upcoming meeting of the joint economic commission between Afghanistan and Iran.
Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, on Saturday inaugurated the rehabilitated 110-kilovolt (kV) power transmission line connecting Maimana and Andkhoy in Faryab province.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office for Economic Affairs, the completion of the project will provide around 60,000 consumers with a more stable and reliable electricity supply.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Baradar said the project would help meet local electricity needs, expand industrial activities and contribute to the region’s economic and social development.
He said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) had implemented several electricity generation and transmission projects in a relatively short period, reducing reliance on imported electricity and power outages while creating new opportunities for industrial growth.
Baradar also said several major electricity infrastructure projects would be implemented over the next year to ensure a sustainable power supply, adding that the country’s existing electricity capacity would increase several times.
Addressing Afghanistan’s security situation, Baradar said the country was currently experiencing a level of security that he claimed was unmatched in most countries. He added that foreign tourists and visitors had continued to travel to Afghanistan since the IEA returned to power, including to remote areas of the country.
He rejected security-related concerns raised by some countries over travel to Afghanistan, describing them as unfounded and politically motivated. He called on the international community to strengthen meaningful engagement with Afghanistan based on realities on the ground.
Baradar also invited domestic and foreign investors to invest in Afghanistan, saying a secure and suitable environment had been created for large- and medium-scale investments.
The UN refugee agency’s representative in Afghanistan has called on the international community to maintain their support for Afghanistan, warning that the return of more than 6.5 million Afghans over the past three years has placed significant pressure on the country.
Arafat Jamal, UNHCR Representative in Afghanistan, made the remarks during the eighth International Conference on Action with Women and Peace in Seoul, South Korea, where he highlighted the challenges facing returnees amid poverty, drought and climate-related disasters.
He said the returning population accounts for around 15 percent of Afghanistan’s total population, describing the influx as one of the world’s largest movements of people. He added that Afghanistan was struggling to absorb the large-scale returns due to its existing economic and humanitarian challenges.
Jamal also highlighted difficulties facing Afghan women, saying that the absence of war does not necessarily mean all citizens enjoy safety.
In a separate interview with The Korea Times during his visit to Seoul, Jamal said supporting refugees and vulnerable countries was not simply an act of charity but an investment in a safer and more stable international environment.
He stressed that Afghanistan’s strategic location, bordering seven countries including China, Pakistan and Iran, makes its stability a matter of wider international concern. Although the country is relatively calm at present, he cautioned that this situation should not be taken for granted without continued international support.
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