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Oslo meeting ‘a success’, IEA recognized for taking some positive steps

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A special meeting this week in Norway between Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) delegates and special representatives from a number of Western countries focused on the urgency in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and highlighted necessary steps to help alleviate the suffering of Afghans across the country.

Special representatives from the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States met in Oslo with the IEA delegation, led by foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, on Monday.

In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the participants stated they recognized the steps taken to ease access for humanitarian workers, male and female.

Participants raised the importance of respect for human rights and the strong need for an inclusive and representative political system to ensure stability and a peaceful future for Afghanistan and they urged the IEA to do more to stop human rights violations, including arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, media crackdowns, extra-judicial killings, torture and prohibitions on women and girls’ education, employment and freedom to travel without a male escort.

The participants did however welcome the IEA’s public pledges that all women and girls can access schools at all levels (primary, secondary and tertiary) when schools across the country reopen in March but emphasized the need for practical, budgetary and technical preparations to ensure this becomes a reality.

According to the statement, participants “reaffirmed our expectation that the Taliban (IEA) will uphold their commitments on counterterrorism and drug trafficking.

They also said their governments are expanding relief operations, helping prevent the collapse of social services and supporting the revival of Afghanistan’s economy.

“Participants noted the importance of increasing cash liquidity and support to the banking sector in order to help stabilize the Afghan economy. Participants further pressed for the development of a transparent, sound strategy to restore confidence in the financial sector,” the statement read.

The Afghan foreign ministry meanwhile said on Thursday that the Oslo visit had been successful.

“There have been serious and effective talks on humanitarian aid, the lifting of banking restrictions, and the liberalization of the central bank’s assets,” said Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the IEA’s foreign ministry spokesman, in a tweet on Wednesday.

In addition, the IEA’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi discussed the IEA’s plans, achievements, and new policies in the field of legislation with representatives of European countries, especially the United States, a statement read.

According to the statement, representatives of the European Union, the UK, the US, and people from charity foundations welcomed the progress made by the IEA in providing security, rooting out corruption, and training.

Foreign ministry officials have meanwhile also said such meetings help to build trust and generate aid for the country.

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Pakistan to issue one-year visas for Afghan drivers

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Pakistani Embassy in Kabul announced on Friday the government of Pakistan has decided to issue multiple-entry visas with one-year validity for Afghan drivers involved in goods transportation.

In a post on X, the embassy added that the visa fee has been set at $100 dollars.

According to the embassy’s statement, applicants for this visa must provide a photo, a copy of their passport, national ID (tazkira), a temporary acceptance document, a letter of verification from the transport company they work for, and a valid driver’s license.

Previously, truck drivers were allowed entry into Pakistan using a temporary entry document known as a “TAD.”

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UN Security Council to hold meeting on Afghanistan

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The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says the UN Security Council will hold a meeting on Monday next week to assess the situation in Afghanistan.

Roza Otunbayeva, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, is scheduled to speak at the meeting and present her report on the current situation in Afghanistan.

In a statement, UNAMA said that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will also share his latest report on Afghanistan with the participants of the meeting.

UNAMA provides quarterly reports to the UN Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan. However, there is a prevailing belief that over the past four years, UN meetings concerning Afghanistan have not had a meaningful impact on improving the situation. The topic has typically been raised as a matter of concern, without resulting in practical action.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate Zabihullah Mujahid has claimed that UNAMA consistently exaggerates minor issues in its reports and presents a distorted picture of the situation in Afghanistan.

Mujahid has called on UNAMA to consider the actual facts on the ground in its reporting and to reflect the achievements of the current government.

This comes as, despite repeated efforts over the past nearly four years, the Islamic Emirate has not succeeded in securing a seat at the United Nations. According to officials of IEA, this has resulted in the realities of Afghanistan not being represented at the UN, and issues contrary to the actual situation in the country being reflected instead.A

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UN reports rise in security and robbery incidents in Afghanistan

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The Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, in his latest report on Afghanistan, stated that security and robbery incidents have increased in the country.

According to the report released today (Thursday), the UN recorded 2,299 safety and security-related incidents over a three-month period (from February 1 to April 30), marking a 3% increase compared to the same period last year.

During the same period, 175 cases of robbery were reported — a 7% increase from the same time last year.

The UN noted that the activities of armed opposition groups have not posed any significant challenge to the Islamic Emirate’s control of the national territory.

The report also referred to two attacks carried out by Daesh during this three-month period — one in Kunduz and another in Kabul.

The UN Secretary-General stated that the people of Afghanistan continue to suffer from numerous challenges, including widespread and growing poverty, persistent unemployment, limited access to basic services, and natural disasters.

According to the report, in 2025, approximately 22.9 million people in Afghanistan will need life-saving humanitarian assistance. Funding shortages have had widespread impacts on humanitarian operations: hundreds of health centers have been closed, child nutrition services have been reduced, and support programs have been suspended.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has not yet commented on this report.

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