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U.S. Expects Afghan Govt’s Inclusion in Ongoing Peace Talks
Washington is expecting the Afghan government’s engagement in the ongoing peace talks with the Taliban, the U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said during a meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at the sidelines of Munich Security Conference on Saturday.
Pence said that the United States is encouraged that the Taliban has shown the interest to come to the negotiating table after years of fighting.
“We are encouraged that the Taliban has come to the table and we look forward to those discussions going forward,” Pence said.
The Taliban has held at least four round of talks with the U.S. representatives so far, but the armed group has repeatedly refused to engage in talks with the Afghan government, insisting that the U.S. is their main adversary.
However, the U.S. Vice President said that they are expecting the Afghan government’s inclusion in the peace talks.
“We look forward to your engagement and the government’s engagement,” Pence told Ghani.
He, meanwhile, expressed hope that the ongoing peace efforts reach into a peaceful statement in Afghanistan that could let the Afghans to have a “great future” and that Afghanistan never again used by terrorist organizations to bring violence against Afghan people and nations around the world including the United States.
On his turn, President Ghani paid tribute to sacrifices of the American troops in Afghanistan. He said since he became president only 66 American troops have been killed in his country.
“It is fortunate that since I have been president only 66 American [troops] paid the ultimate sacrifices, 66 is to many but clearly after the transition and with the launch of South Asia strategy now the war is no longer an American war,” he said.
Thanking the U.S. forces’ support to Afghanistan, Ghani said that it is the “patriotic” Afghan security forces that are doing the fighting and that are dying for “a free homeland and for a secure world”.
The Afghan president also hailed the U.S. South Asia Strategy and described as “game changer”. He said the strategy is working.
“We would like to thank President Trump and yourself who have paid a very significant role in making this possible,” Ghani told Pence.
Regarding the ongoing peace talks, Ghani said that it is “critical” to ensure an “enduring” peace results from these discussions.
Officials at the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) say 7,000 incomplete projects of the World Bank are at risk of destruction in Afghanistan. They call on the World Bank to resume the work of these projects.
According to them, discussions have been held with the World Bank about these projects, but there has been no result yet.
“7,000 incomplete projects are being destroyed, and if the work is not started, these projects will be destroyed. We ask the World Bank to resume the work of these projects as soon as possible,” said Noorul Hadi Adel, the spokesperson of MRRD.
Meanwhile, members of the private sector also ask international institutions to resume their work in Afghanistan.
According to the officials of this sector, with the start of these projects, job opportunities will be provided for thousands of people in the country.
“These projects create employment for our people and the country will grow a lot,” said Mirwais Hajizadeh, a member of the private sector.
However, economic experts stated if the work of these projects does not start soon, they will be destroyed and the investments made in them will be wasted.
Ten people have been killed and six others injured by floods in Helmand province in the past week, local officials said on Friday.
According to officials, seven of those were members of the same family, and they were killed in Kajaki district last night.
“Most of the people moved from vulnerable areas to high lands and mountains, and thanks Allah the number of casualties is low,” Sher Mohammad Vahdat, the head of information of the Directorate of Information and Culture in Helmand, said adding rescue teams and security forces have been dispatched to help people.
It is said that the telecommunication system has also been disrupted due to the effect of floods in Kajaki district. Floods have also destroyed thousands of acres of agricultural land.
Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, met with the Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi and discussed issues related to Afghanistan, it was announced on Thursday.
During the meeting, Otunbayeva thanked India for “its critical humanitarian support and longstanding friendship for the Afghan people” and discussed the importance of regional and international cooperation to address prevailing challenges in Afghanistan, UNAMA said on X.
Jaishankar also said on X that the sides exchanged views on the current situation in Afghanistan.
“Underlined that India has provided wheat, medicines, pesticides and school supplies. Appreciate the role of UN agencies as partners in these endeavors,” he said.
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