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Khalilzad in Kabul for Revival of Peace Talks: Reuters
U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad arrived in Kabul on Wednesday to meet Afghan president Ashraf Ghani to discuss ways of resuming peace talks, Reuters reported citing an Afghan government official.
Khalilzad’s trip comes days after U.S. President Donald Trump’s surprise Thanksgiving visit to U.S. forces at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan where he met President Ghani and announced that peace talks have restarted with the militant group.
The Afghan government, however, says it is ready for resuming the talks, but only if it is given a seat at the table and the Taliban agrees to a ceasefire.
“In Kabul, Special Representative Khalilzad will meet with Afghan government representatives and other Afghan leaders to follow up on President Trump’s recent visit and to discuss how best to support accelerated efforts to get all parties to intra-Afghan negotiations,” the US Department of State said in a statement.
In Doha, Ambassador Khalilzad will rejoin talks with the Taliban to discuss steps that could lead to intra-Afghan negotiations and a peaceful settlement of the war, specifically a reduction in violence that leads to a ceasefire.
“The U.S. and Afghan presidents agreed on the resumption of peace negotiations but with close participation and coordination with the Afghan government,” the official told Reuters.
“Our precondition is a reduction of violence leading to a ceasefire, and that is what U.S. want too.”
If talks are resumed, the source added that Khalilzad’s previous format of holding separate negotiations with the Taliban as a preliminary step to later talks between Afghan participants in the conflict cannot be repeated.
Three foreign nationals and one Afghan were killed when gunmen opened fire in Afghanistan’s central Bamyan province on Friday, the Interior Ministry said.
Abdulmatin Qane, the spokesman of the Ministry of Interior, said that three Afghans and four foreigners were injured in the shooting.
He added that four people were arrested in connection with the incident.
Qani did not specify which country the foreigners belonged to.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
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China and Pakistan call for inclusive ‘political framework’ and ‘moderate policies’ in Afghanistan
According to the statement, Wang and Dar called for concerted efforts from the international community to help Afghanistan address challenges in areas such as the humanitarian situation and economic development.
“The two sides agreed to strengthen communication and coordination on the Afghanistan issue,” the statement read.
“They called for concerted efforts of the international community to help Afghanistan properly address challenges in such areas as the humanitarian situation and economic development, and encourage Afghanistan to build an inclusive political framework, adopt moderate policies, pursue good-neighborliness, and firmly combat terrorism, including not allowing its territory to be used for terrorist acts.
“Both sides agreed to play a positive and constructive role in helping Afghanistan achieve stable development and integrate into the international community,” the statement read.
Negotiations are ongoing between Afghanistan and Iran to sideline the US dollar in bilateral transactions, the deputy governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) said this week.
According to media reports, Mohsen Karimi, the head of the CBI, said talks are ongoing between the two countries for the implementation of “offshore rial” in Afghanistan.
Karimi said the “offshore rial” is used with the aim of supporting the economic activity and exporters of the private sector of the country.
Recently, CBI Governor Mohammad Reza Farzin announced that Tehran plans to use the “offshore rial” for trade with Russia, Afghanistan and Iraq. He also said at the time that the idea of ditching the US dollar has produced positive results.
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