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Qatar prime minister, IEA supreme leader hold secret talks

The Qatari prime minister held secret talks with the supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan this month on resolving tension with the international community, a source briefed on the meeting told Reuters.
The May 12 meeting in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar between Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani and Hibatullah Akhundzada is the first the reclusive IEA leader is known to have held with a foreign leader.
U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration was briefed on the talks and is “coordinating on all issues discussed” by the pair, including furthering dialogue with the IEA, the source told Reuters.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said other issues Sheikh Mohammed raised with Hibatullah included the need to end IEA bans on girls’ education and women’s employment.
The meeting represents a diplomatic success for Qatar, which has criticized IEA restrictions on women while using its long-standing ties to push for deeper engagement with Kabul by the international community.
Reuters reported that the source’s comments suggested that Washington supported elevating what have been unproductive lower-level talks in the hope of a breakthrough that could end the world’s only bans of their kind and ease dire humanitarian and financial crises that have left tens of millions of Afghans hungry and jobless.
The White House declined to comment on the talks. The State Department and the Qatar embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, told Ariana News that the purpose of the Qatari Prime Minister’s visit to Kandahar was to meet Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, the Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate.
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Deputy foreign minister meets UNAMA head

The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of UNAMA, Roza Otunbayeva, met with the Political Deputy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanakzai, the ministry said.
According to the ministry during the meeting, Stanakzai requested international assistance in the areas of regional coordination, the fight against drugs, and ways to revitalize the business and banking sector.
The Political Deputy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said despite the difference of opinion in some areas, there is a need to work together on common issues and give Afghanistan the right to participate in various international forums, including the United Nations.
He also said that humanitarian affairs should be kept separate from politics and political differences should not be allowed to hinder interaction in humanitarian aid, drug fight, mine clearance and other areas.
Meanwhile, Roza Otunbayeva shared information about her recent visit to the United Nations and added that they are trying to fight against drugs, treat drug addicts, and promote legal crops in addition to making efforts around food security and are attempting to attract international aid.
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Muttaqi leaves for China to attend Trans-Himalaya Forum

Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi left Kabul for China to participate in the third Trans-Himalaya Forum for International Cooperation, it was announced Tuesday.
Hafiz Zia Ahmad, deputy spokesman for Foreign Ministry, said on X that Muttaqi had received an official invitation from China.
Deputy Minister of Economy Abdul Latif Nazari and a number of other officials of the Islamic Emirate are accompanying Muttaqi in the visit.
Ahmad said that in the meeting, the countries surrounding the Himalayas will discuss economic cooperation, regional connectivity and ecological changes.
He added that the Islamic Emirate delegation will also have a bilateral meetings with the Foreign Minister of China and representatives of other countries on the sidelines of the forum.
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Pakistan tightens entry rules for Afghan travelers

Pakistan has decided that all citizens of neighboring Afghanistan will be required to enter the country with a valid passport and visa starting next month, similar to travelers from other countries, VOA reported on Monday.
The “one document regime” policy will replace the decades-old practice of granting special travel permits to individuals with divided tribes straddling the Durand Line.
The “passport as the only traveling document is going to be implemented from November 1, 2023,” according to an official federal directive sent to immigration authorities at all Afghan border crossings.
“No other document shall be accepted to travel from Afghanistan to Pakistan,” the document said.
The Pakistani government has yet to make a formal announcement about the new policy.
VOA cited a senior Pakistani official as saying that Islamabad hopes the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) would cooperate in implementing the “one document regime” decision to help deter illegal crossers, including militants and smugglers.
The IEA did not immediately comment on the new travel requirements.
The new policy comes amid a nationwide crackdown on Afghans living illegally in Pakistan or not renewing their visas.
Last Thursday, Pakistani caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani announced that his government would deport illegal Afghan and other foreign immigrants.
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