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Khalilzad welcomes Guiterres’ move to appoint Turkish envoy as Afghanistan coordinator
Former US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad on Wednesday welcomed the UN secretary general’s move to appoint a special coordinator on Afghanistan affairs and said the upcoming meeting in Doha must produce a road map for engagement with Kabul - a step that “will define the ambassador’s mission”.
In a series of tweets on Wednesday Khalilzad described Feridun Sinirlioglu as an “excellent choice” for the position and said the “ambassador has two great attributes: vast experience and good judgment.”
Khalilzad stated that “3 other steps are needed.” According to him, the meeting scheduled for May 1, which will be hosted by UN chief Antonio Guterres, “must produce a road map for international engagement with Afghanistan. Such a step will define the ambassador's mission.”
He reiterated his previous suggestions and said: “As I have stated many times, the best option is for the implementation of the still open steps in the Doha Agreement. It would be important that Ambassador Sirilinirlioglu attend this meeting.”
He also suggested a meeting with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) during the Doha gathering “to determine their commitment to full and complete implementation of the Doha agreement.”
The May 1 meeting aims to drum up international engagement around common objectives for a durable way forward on the situation in Afghanistan.
Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said recently that “the Secretary-General has said and continues to believe that it’s an urgent priority to advance an approach based on pragmatism and principles, combined with strategic patience, and to identify parameters for creative, flexible, principled, and constructive engagement.
“It is his aim that the discussions, which will be held behind closed doors, can contribute to a more unified consensus regarding the challenges ahead,” Dujarric said.
The IEA has however revisited the issue of Afghanistan’s seat at the UN and repeated their call last week for the seat to be handed over to the IEA’s designated representative.
“Without a doubt, this is an injustice to the people of Afghanistan. A great nation in this region should have its place in the United Nations, and in all discussions about Afghanistan, there should be the real representative of the people of Afghanistan, which is currently the Islamic Emirate,” Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman of IEA, said.
He said that putting pressure on the IEA will not work and it will rather undermine the credibility of the foreign community.
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IEA supreme leader says vice and virtue law must be enforced
Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate, has ordered that the Law on Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice must be enforced in order to preserve Afghanistan’s Islamic system.
The Kandahar media center said Monday that the IEA leader met with military and civilian officials, the Ulema Council, businessmen, and security forces in Spin Boldak in Kandahar on Sunday, where he also delivered a speech.
He said that great sacrifices were made over 20 years to attain the Islamic system and efforts should be made to preserve it.
He added that this can only be done through obedience, piousness, and following the advice of religious scholars.
The leader of the Islamic Emirate told scholars present to fully cooperate with the relevant departments in implementing the Law on Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice and to explain to people every day in their mosques issues related to faith, belief, and prayer.
He also advised military and civilian officials in Spin Boldak district not to have disputes, to maintain full coordination and cooperation with each other, be committed to carrying out their responsibilities, and obey their superiors.
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IEA, Chinese company signs deal for Kapisa dam feasibility study
The Ministry of Energy and Water on Sunday signed an agreement for feasibility, geophysics and geotechnical studies of the Baghdara Dam in Kapisa province with Metallurgical Corp of China (MCC), the contractor of Mes Aynak copper mine.
The agreement was signed between Abdul Latif Mansoor, Acting Minister of Energy and Water, and Song Wen Bing, director of MCC.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mansoor highlighted the importance of the Baghdara Dam project in providing the electricity needed for the Mes Aynak project in Logar province and emphasized that the implementation of the Baghdara Dam project will be a milestone in joint cooperation between Afghanistan and China.
He also emphasized the expansion and development of cooperation between China and Afghanistan and assured the Chinese ambassador and MCC officials that the environment is favorable for investment in Afghanistan and the Islamic Emirate is committed to cooperate in this regard.
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Most families borrow money to buy food in Afghanistan: WFP
The World Food Programme (WFP) has said that three out of four Afghan families borrow money to buy food.
On average, a family’s debts are AFN 38,200 (nearly $560), according to the organization.
WFP has warned that as winter worsens in Afghanistan, millions face extreme hardship, with one in four families struggling to get enough food.
The organization said that for many families, WFP is their last hope but due to the funding crisis, most will not receive any food in the coming months.
“For the coming six months, WFP in Afghanistan urgently requires nearly US$680 million across all its activities, including to help the most vulnerable, food insecure families across the country survive the harsh Afghan winter,” it said.
WFP said that it has helped 10.5 million people across Afghanistan with food and cash to nourish children, boost the local economy and empower communities.
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