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Reduction in violence will be focus of next round of talks: Abdullah
Abdulllah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, told Afghans living in Tajikistan that the reduction in violence will be focused on in the second round of peace talks expected to start on January 5.
Abdullah also said that any further increase in violence will lead Afghanistan in an uncertain direction.
He told guests present at the meeting that the leadership committee of the High Council for Reconciliation will meet soon to advise the Republic’s negotiators.
“More killing does not gain political advantages,” said Abdullah.
Meanwhile, some members of the Republic’s negotiating team called on government to clarify their authorities ahead of the next round of talks.
“It needs to clarified; what we can negotiate in the peace talks,” said Fawzia Koofi, a peace talks team member.
This comes after Abdullah wrapped up a two-day visit to Tajikistan on Monday night and after three high-ranking officials from the US Department of Defense, including acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller met with President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul in the past week to discuss the peace process.
It is not however clear if they discussed the reduction of US troops in Afghanistan – a move that will see only 2,500 American soldiers in the country by mid-January.
However, one politician Ahmadullah Alizai said: “These trips are not important; it’s results that are important, what people want.”
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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