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US renews support for Afghan-Taliban reconciliation process
Following the recent deadly attacks in Kabul, the United States on Monday once again announced support for National Afghan-Taliban reconciliation process and rejected the possibility of adopting a new strategy.
“There is no new strategy in relation to what we are now with our partners and allies ,” Secretary of State John Kerry said.
John Kerry added that the thing we are busy with now is “Supporting Firmly Mission” and what we are seeing now is the continued presence of Afghan security forces at the Supreme Leader of operations.
“It depends on Taliban to decide about their future. If they condemn violence and terrorism, they will help the national reconciliation process in Afghanistan. We support such process which establishes peace and stability in Afghanistan,” Kerry noted.
Earlier, the Afghan government delegation met with Taliban officials in the Pakistani capital for the first time, in a significant effort to open formal peace negotiations.
The Islamabad meeting, brokered by Pakistani officials after months of intense effort by President Ashraf Ghani to get them more centrally involved in the peace process, was the most promising contact between the two warring sides in years. And it followed a series of less formal encounters between various Afghan officials and Taliban representatives in other countries in recent months.
The Taliban has demanded the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Afghanistan — including any residual forces the United States and NATO plan to leave after the 2014 withdrawal — and the release of all Taliban detainees. The detainees include five militants being held at the prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, whose release the Taliban has previously sought. The United States has turned over the bulk of its battlefield prisoners in Afghanistan to the last government.
The U.S. goal is for the Taliban to publicly and substantively renounce ties with al-Qaeda, end violence in Afghanistan, recognize the Afghan constitution — including rights for minorities and women — and participate in the democratic process there.
Foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) met in the Kazakh capital this week and discussed issues around promoting stabilization in Afghanistan, combating terrorism and drug threats.
According to Kazakh media reports, the participants also discussed preparations for the upcoming SCO Head of State Summit scheduled for July and the Middle East situation.
China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, India and Pakistan are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
The organization recognizes Afghanistan, Mongolia, Belarus, Iraq and Sri Lanka as observers, but the Islamic Emirate has not been invited to the meeting.
SCO members have repeatedly expressed concerns about a terrorism threat from Afghanistan.
But the Islamic Emirate has emphasized repeatedly that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any other country.
Turkish Airlines resumed its flights to Afghanistan with its first flight landing at Kabul International Airport on Tuesday, after almost three years.
Turkish charge d’affaires in Kabul, Cenk Unal, said at a ceremony to mark the occasion that the resumption of Turkish Airlines flights to Afghanistan is a clear example of the expansion of friendly and historical relations between the two countries.
He added that Turkish Airlines flies to numerous countries, and flights to Afghanistan will help expand cultural and commercial relations.
Officials of the Ministry of Transport stated that the resumption of Turkish Airlines flights shows that the people of Turkey stand with the people of Afghanistan in any circumstances.
They called on other international airlines to also resume flights saying that currently Kabul airport is safe and secure.
Turkish Airlines currently has 454 modern aircraft. It connects 348 destinations in six continents and in 130 countries.
The European Union announced Tuesday it has made available 400,000 euros (over 30 million afghani) in response to widespread flooding in the north of Afghanistan in the past few weeks.
This humanitarian aid will provide immediate emergency assistance to beneficiaries in the regions of Baghlan, Badakhshan, and Takhar, the EU said in a statement.
The assistance will be delivered by EU humanitarian partners ACTED and DACAAR. It will include an emergency multi-sectoral response through cash assistance as well as access to clean water, emergency sanitation and hygiene supplies, the statement read.
The EU mentioned that it has been funding humanitarian operations in Afghanistan since 1994, providing close to 1.8 billion euros ($1.9 billion) in funding.
Last year alone, the EU mobilised 159 million euros ($172 million) in humanitarian funding.
In addition, since 2021 the EU has organised a Humanitarian Air Bridge to Afghanistan, with 35 flights so far that have carried over 1,600 tonnes of aid.
SCO foreign ministers discuss promotion of stability in Afghanistan
Turkish Airlines resumes flights to Afghanistan after three year hiatus
US says it was ‘unable’ to provide Iran assistance after helicopter crash
EU provides 400,000 euros to assist flood victims in Afghanistan
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