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Russia expects prisoner swap between gov’t, Taliban to be completed soon
Russia expects that obstacles related to the prisoner swap between the Afghan government and the Taliban militants will not hinder the start of intra-Afghan talks.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday that an early launch of intra-Afghan negotiations is in the interest of both the people of Afghanistan and the country’s foreign partners.
“We welcome the release of all 1,000 prisoners, which are Afghan army and police, by the Taliban in accordance with the agreement reached between the United States and the Taliban on February 29, 2020,” Maria Zakharova said.
“We also look forward to the early implementation of President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani’s decision to release the remaining imprisoned militants, which was adopted following the Consultative Loya Jirga.”
This comes a day after, the Afghan government announced that it has suspended the controversial release process of 320 “hard-core” Taliban prisoners.
Sediq Sediqqi, the Presidential spokesman, told Ariana News that the government will not release the remaining Taliban prisoners unless the group frees 22 Afghan security force members they are holding captive.
Last Monday’s decree, signed by President Ashraf Ghani, was the result of a Loya Jirga, or grand council, which voted in favor of the insurgents’ release following two days of consultations.
The process has however raised concerns and Australia and France have also publicly called on the government to not release six prisoners who are guilty of having killed their nationals.
Meanwhile, Russia said it hoped that “these issues will not become new obstacles to the launch of peaceful dialogue and will be resolved in the near future.”
“We are confident that the early start of intra-Afghan talks should benefit the interests of both the people of Afghanistan and that country’s international partners,” Maria Zakharova added.
Moreover, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad said Friday that there is no legitimate reason to delay the intra-Afghan talks.
He called on the Afghan government and the Taliban to immediately start intra-Afghan negotiations.
Some reliable sources from the Afghan government, however, told Ariana News that the process would be suspended until the United States has reached an agreement over six of the Taliban prisoners involved in insider attacks, the so-called green-on-blue attacks, with Australia and France.
The Japanese Embassy in Afghanistan announced Thursday it will provide emergency relief to flood-hit people in northern Afghanistan.
According to a statement issued by the embassy, relief will be provided through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in cooperation with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS).
This relief includes tents, blankets and other essential items.
According to the statement, “Japan has decided to provide emergency assistance to Afghanistan to support people affected by the flood. We will always stand by the people of Afghanistan.”
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has meanwhile reported that 8,975 homes were destroyed or damaged by floods in Baghlan, Badakhshan, and Takhar provinces following heavy rains.
Russia also pledged help if needed, while the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) appealed to Islamic countries and aid organizations to step in to help the flood victims.
Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov held talks with India’s external affairs minister JP Singh to discuss the situation in the country.
Kabulov met with Singh during a visit to India.
In a post on X, India’s external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “India and Russia held bilateral consultations on Afghanistan today in New Delhi.
“Amb. Zamir Kabulov, Special Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan, and JP Singh, Joint Secretary (PAI) discussed the current situation in Afghanistan and emphasized on the need to provide development assistance for the welfare of the Afghan people,” he said.
An official at the Russian embassy said Kabulov held talks with Singh under the framework of India-Russia foreign ministerial consultations on Afghanistan.
New Delhi has been pitching for providing unimpeded humanitarian aid to Afghanistan to address the humanitarian crisis in the country.
In June 2022, India re-established its diplomatic presence in Kabul by deploying a technical team in its embassy in the Afghan capital.
The Islamic Emirate says that due to the diplomatic efforts of the IEA, a good spirit of cooperation has been formed in the region towards Afghanistan, and the countries have understood that stable security and stability in Afghanistan is in the interest of all countries.
Zhao Xing, the Chinese Ambassador to Kabul, has invited political deputy prime minister Mawlavi Abdul Kabir to participate in the upcoming Trans-Himalayan Forum meeting.
The Chinese envoy said at a meeting Wednesday with Kabir that Beijing supports the Islamic Emirate in terms of attending international meetings, especially UN Security Council meetings.
Zhao also said China was committed to cooperating with the Islamic Emirate.
Kabir in turn expressed his gratitude for China’s support and cooperation across numerous sectors and said that as a responsible government, the Islamic Emirate is bound by commitments made and tries to play an active role in regional issues and the stability and development of the region.
Kabir also acknowledged China’s support of the Islamic Emirate and said Beijing’s cooperation can bring about positive changes and economic growth in the country.
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