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Republic’s negotiating team scheduled to leave for Doha
The Afghanistan Republic’s negotiating team will leave Kabul on Monday for Doha where they are set to resume peace talks with the Taliban after a three-week break.
In a meeting with President Ashraf Ghani prior to their departure, the team was told by the president: “Views of Afghans, advice of the Loya Jirga and the Constitution defines the authorities and agenda of the peace negotiating team.”
Ghani pointed out that there had been significant international support for the process and assured the team of government’s full support. He also wished them success for the next round of talks which could see the teams set the agenda and touch on the issue of a ceasefire.
The team meanwhile said the experience they had gained in the first round would serve as a good guide for the next phase.
The talks are scheduled to resume oan Tuesday in Doha.
On Saturday, Abdul Hafiz Mansoor, a member of the negotiating team, said however the Taliban has no operational plan in place to govern, but their “power-hungry and narrow-minded spirit has not changed.”
Speaking at a roundtable discussion on the first round of peace talks and its future prospects Mansoor said the Taliban are eager to rule but have no operational plans to govern.
Mansoor said “we have to move towards an interim government while maintaining the current” system and stated that preserving the current achievements and values of the past 20 years is a must.
He said the Taliban are not a political group, but they want power.
“The mentality of the Taliban has not changed at all, the Taliban still has a militaristic sense and thinks they can achieve power through war.”
In just two months, five journalists have been killed in the country in what is perceived as a ploy to silence the free media in the country.
Afghan foreign minister, Haneef Atmar meanwhile met Qatar’s ambassador to Afghanistan Saeed bin Mubarak Al Khayarin on Monday and thanked him for his country’s support to the peace process.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan announced on Tuesday the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle from prison.
According to the ministry, Coyle’s mother had written to the leader of the Islamic Emirate demanding amnesty and the release of her son on the occasion of Eid. The Supreme Court considered time served sufficient and decided to release him.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this action was carried out on the basis of humanitarianism and good faith, and it believes that such measures can strengthen trust between countries. The ministry also expressed hope that both countries, in the future, can find solutions to remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue.
The Islamic Emirate also expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the United Arab Emirates in this matter.
Separately, for Coyle’s release, an American delegation, including Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Tuesday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate.
The meeting was also attended by Saif Mohammed Al-Ketbi, Ambassador of the UAE in Kabul, and a member of the prisoner’s family.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi stated that the Islamic Emirate has not detained any citizen of any country to achieve political objectives; rather, detentions were the result of legal violations, and individuals were released after completing judicial procedures.
At the meeting, Khalilzad praised the action of the Islamic Emirate and emphasized the importance of continuing discussions on all issues between the two countries, expressing hope for further progress in the future.
Muttaqi also stressed that Kabul and the UAE should provide standard consular services to their citizens, and that the Afghan government is fully prepared in this regard.
He thanked Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for their constructive role in facilitating the release of the prisoner and referred to the UAE as a close friend of Afghanistan.
Earlier, Muttaqi had also praised the role of the State of Qatar in facilitating information exchange between the Islamic Emirate and the prisoner’s family.
Additionally, the UAE ambassador expressed his country’s readiness to play a role in humanitarian institutions and called such developments beneficial for everyone.
The United Kingdom has announced an additional £3 million (AFN 257 million) in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, aimed at supporting people affected by natural disasters and other shocks.
Richard Lindsay, in a post on X, said the funding will be used to provide essential nutrition supplies and related support to vulnerable populations.
The new allocation brings the UK’s total bilateral assistance to Afghanistan for the current financial year to £154 million (AFN 13.18 billion).
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