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Progress stalls in Afghan peace talks as sides ‘await Biden’

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Afghan peace talks that resumed four days ago are effectively on hold, sources from both sides said on Wednesday, as negotiators wait for President-elect Joe Biden to signal whether he will stick to Donald Trump’s aggressive schedule to pull out troops, Reuters reported.

This comes after a month-long break, which saw most, but not all, negotiators return to Doha last week for the resumption of talks.

A diplomatic source in Kabul told Reuters on Wednesday that expectations were low for progress before Biden takes office on January 20.

The sides “do not want to commit to anything before the 20th. They wanted to have the process going in the meantime because that was one of the requirements of the international community, so they have the process. But it is stagnant,” the diplomatic source said.

In an agreement signed between the US and the Taliban last year, Washington agreed to a full withdrawal by April this year.

The agreement was however conditions based and the Taliban is expected to meet certain security conditions before the last of the troops leave Afghanistan.

The Afghan government says these conditions have not been met while Biden and his advisors have so far given few clues as to their plans.

“We are waiting for the new US administration and their policies towards Afghanistan to see whether they would respect the peace accord,” a Taliban negotiator told Reuters on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak publicly.

“If they don’t honour their commitment of withdrawing their forces as promised…then we would need to make tough decisions by appointing hardliners to key positions on the ground.”

After months of little progress, the sides finally agreed ground rules for talks late last year. The talks then broke up in December, in part to allow negotiators to return home for consultations with their leadership.

The sides announced last week they would re-start talks on Saturday. But so far only limited meetings between smaller teams called ‘contact groups’ have taken place, three diplomatic and Afghan government sources told Reuters.

About four key members of the Taliban negotiating team were not yet in Qatar, the group’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters.

He said this was due to logistical issues travelling from remote areas where they were visiting family. They would arrive in the next few days and the delay would not affect the talks.

Some Afghan government negotiators were also not yet in Doha. One, who has been receiving treatment for cancer, told Reuters she planned to travel there this week.

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Afghanistan embassy in Malaysia marks five years of IEA rule

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The Embassy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Malaysia on Tuesday held a ceremony to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Islamic Emirate’s return to power. The event was attended by Malaysian government officials and diplomats, religious scholars, members of royal families, representatives of international and Islamic organizations, Afghan traders and Afghans living in Malaysia.

Naqibullah Ahmadi, the acting head of the embassy, described the anniversary as the result of the courage and sacrifices of the Afghan people and highlighted progress over the past five years in security, stability, economic growth, infrastructure and public services.

He emphasized balanced engagement with the international community and called for expanded cooperation between Afghanistan and Malaysia in trade, transit, agriculture, mining and investment.

Meanwhile, Dato’ Ahmad Azam Abdul Rahman, Special Adviser to Malaysia’s Foreign Minister, congratulated Afghanistan on the fifth anniversary of the victory and emphasized the continuation of relations between the two countries.

He expressed Malaysia’s readiness to share its experience in Islamic banking, halal certification, public health, agriculture, mining and good governance.

The ceremony also featured a video presentation highlighting developments in Afghanistan over the past five years. The event concluded with prayers for lasting peace, prosperity and national unity in Afghanistan.

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Qatar’s ambassador visits Panjshir for first time, discusses development projects

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Panjshir’s media office says that Mirdif Al-Qashouti, Qatar’s ambassador to Afghanistan, has visited Panjshir for the first time, following efforts by the provincial administration to attract investment and development projects.

Mohammad Agha Hakim, the governor of Panjshir, described relations between Afghanistan and Qatar as important during his meeting with the Qatari ambassador and called for increased investment by Islamic countries and Arab businessmen in the province.

Highlighting Panjshir’s potential in horticulture, agriculture and mining, he said apples, cherries, grapes and walnuts are among the province’s key products and that investment opportunities are available in these sectors. According to him, mining operations are currently underway at around 600 mines, while around 2,000 additional mines have been identified.

The Qatari ambassador described Afghanistan as a brotherly country and a longstanding friend of Qatar and reaffirmed his country’s support for Afghanistan. He said Qatar is committed to implementing various projects in Panjshir and plans to invest in establishing companies to process the province’s fresh and dried fruits.

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MoU signed to establish joint-stock company to boost investment in Afghanistan

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A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment and the Chamber of Industries and Mines to establish a joint-stock company aimed at financing major economic and infrastructure projects and promoting investment in Afghanistan.

The agreement was signed on Tuesday at the Government Media and Information Center in the presence of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs.

Speaking at the ceremony, Baradar said the new company would provide a structured mechanism for mobilizing private capital to finance large-scale economic and infrastructure projects.

He said the private sector has a key role to play in Afghanistan’s economic growth, particularly in boosting domestic production, creating jobs, expanding exports and financing major development projects.

Baradar said the company would pool the capital of traders, industrialists and investors under an organized, transparent and legal framework, allowing their combined resources to be used for major projects.

He also said the Islamic Emirate had created a secure environment for investors and industrialists and was working to streamline administrative procedures, provide legal and economic facilities, and remove barriers to investment.

Baradar called on traders, industrialists and investors to pool their resources and jointly invest in Afghanistan’s economic development. He also urged government institutions to provide comprehensive support to the private sector.

Under the agreement, the joint-stock company will focus on implementing infrastructure projects across various sectors and is expected to create new opportunities for investment in the country.

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