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UNAMA welcomes talks teams return to Doha for peace negotiations
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has welcomed the peace negotiator’s return to Doha for the resumption of talks between the government and the Taliban teams.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, UNAMA stated that these negotiations are critical in helping to bring about an end to the fighting and creating a lasting peace.
“The negotiators are confronted with some daunting challenges and much work remains. But the two teams cooperated well in the historic first round of talks that commenced in September, making incremental but genuine progress. They agreed a code of conduct for future negotiations and exchanged draft agenda items before taking a 20-day recess for consultations with their constituents and leaderships,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Head of UNAMA, Deborah Lyons stated: “I urge both sides to use this opportunity to move ahead to create the conditions for a reduction in violence that will end further loss of Afghan lives and reach a political settlement that is acceptable to all segments of Afghan society.”
“A cessation in fighting would create a better atmosphere for talks, provide hope to the people, and allow humanitarian actors to deliver much-needed winter assistance to Afghans across the whole country,” she noted.
The UN will remain in close contact with both parties and, as the Secretary-General said at the opening of the talks in September, stands ready to assist as necessary, the statement concluded.
It comes as the US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad is in Kabul to meet with the Afghan leaders and convey U.S. support for the Afghan people and security forces, the US State Department said in a statement.
“During this trip, Ambassador Khalilzad will continue to encourage projects and plans for expanded regional connectivity, trade, and development which will be aided by an Afghan peace agreement and will help sustain peace,” the statement said.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Finance, Mohammad Nasir Akhund, has travelled to Iran at the head of a delegation following an official invitation from Iran’s Minister of Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance said.
During the visit, Akhund is expected to meet with various Iranian officials to discuss bilateral economic, trade, customs and other related issues.
The visit will also include discussions on key topics for an upcoming meeting of the joint economic commission between Afghanistan and Iran.
Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, on Saturday inaugurated the rehabilitated 110-kilovolt (kV) power transmission line connecting Maimana and Andkhoy in Faryab province.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office for Economic Affairs, the completion of the project will provide around 60,000 consumers with a more stable and reliable electricity supply.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Baradar said the project would help meet local electricity needs, expand industrial activities and contribute to the region’s economic and social development.
He said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) had implemented several electricity generation and transmission projects in a relatively short period, reducing reliance on imported electricity and power outages while creating new opportunities for industrial growth.
Baradar also said several major electricity infrastructure projects would be implemented over the next year to ensure a sustainable power supply, adding that the country’s existing electricity capacity would increase several times.
Addressing Afghanistan’s security situation, Baradar said the country was currently experiencing a level of security that he claimed was unmatched in most countries. He added that foreign tourists and visitors had continued to travel to Afghanistan since the IEA returned to power, including to remote areas of the country.
He rejected security-related concerns raised by some countries over travel to Afghanistan, describing them as unfounded and politically motivated. He called on the international community to strengthen meaningful engagement with Afghanistan based on realities on the ground.
Baradar also invited domestic and foreign investors to invest in Afghanistan, saying a secure and suitable environment had been created for large- and medium-scale investments.
The UN refugee agency’s representative in Afghanistan has called on the international community to maintain their support for Afghanistan, warning that the return of more than 6.5 million Afghans over the past three years has placed significant pressure on the country.
Arafat Jamal, UNHCR Representative in Afghanistan, made the remarks during the eighth International Conference on Action with Women and Peace in Seoul, South Korea, where he highlighted the challenges facing returnees amid poverty, drought and climate-related disasters.
He said the returning population accounts for around 15 percent of Afghanistan’s total population, describing the influx as one of the world’s largest movements of people. He added that Afghanistan was struggling to absorb the large-scale returns due to its existing economic and humanitarian challenges.
Jamal also highlighted difficulties facing Afghan women, saying that the absence of war does not necessarily mean all citizens enjoy safety.
In a separate interview with The Korea Times during his visit to Seoul, Jamal said supporting refugees and vulnerable countries was not simply an act of charity but an investment in a safer and more stable international environment.
He stressed that Afghanistan’s strategic location, bordering seven countries including China, Pakistan and Iran, makes its stability a matter of wider international concern. Although the country is relatively calm at present, he cautioned that this situation should not be taken for granted without continued international support.
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