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US State Dept says senior Afghan govt delegation set to visit Doha
US State Department spokesman Ned Price said late Wednesday that Washington continues to believe the only solution to Afghanistan’s problem is a political settlement and in line with this the Afghan government is sending a senior delegation to Doha.
Addressing a press conference, Price did not say when this visit would take place nor did he say who would lead this “senior delegation”.
He said: “We have been very clear about this, that we continue to believe the Islamic Republic – that is to say, the Afghan Government continues to believe that diplomacy is the only durable and just way to reach a political settlement here.
“I won’t speak for the Taliban, but they continue to engage in that diplomacy in Doha. The Islamic Republic, the Afghan Government is sending a senior delegation to Doha. The special envoy (Zalmay Khalilzad) and his team are engaged, supporting these intra-Afghan discussions in Doha,” Price said.
“We continue to believe – and the international community continues to believe, including, if you look at recent statements from some of our closest allies, but also from countries with whom we share little else – that this diplomatic path is the most effective, and certainly the best path to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan.”
Price also slammed the killing of 22 Afghan commandos by the Taliban and said the video, of the event, “depicts horrifying scenes. The killing – in this case, the slaughter – of unarmed individuals is – it’s an atrocious act, it’s an outrageous sight, and of course we condemn it.”
Price also reiterated a previous comment of his that “the Taliban too understands that only through diplomacy can they garner any sort of legitimacy.”
He said it is Washington’s opinion and that of the international community that any government “that comes to power through the barrel of a gun, that comes to power through force in Afghanistan, any government that doesn’t respect fundamental and universal rights is not one that will have legitimacy in the eyes of the broad international community. It is not one that will have the support of the Afghan people.”
He said it’s very important that any future government of Afghanistan that wants durability will have to be one that governs justly. “And only through diplomacy, only through the Afghan people having a say will any future government be able to accrue that legitimacy, will be able to accrue assistance from the international community, which has been vital – indispensable, I would say, to the Afghan Government.
“And that’s why only through that process will any future government be able to achieve that durability.”
The special representatives of China, Iran, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and India met on Saturday with Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on the sidelines of the 6th Moscow Format meeting, said Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesman for the ministry.
Takal said in a statement that bilateral political relations and economic cooperation between Afghanistan and the region's countries were discussed in these meetings.
Muttaqi stated that Afghanistan's security situation is reliable and its security is in the interest of all countries in the region.
He emphasized the development of economic, commercial and investment cooperation between Afghanistan and related countries.
The envoys, meanwhile, stressed increasing interaction and all-round cooperation with Afghanistan and described the situation in Afghanistan as reliable.
The United States will provide nearly $157 million in new humanitarian assistance to support populations affected by conflict in Lebanon and the region, the State Department said in a statement on Friday.
"This funding will address new and existing needs of internally displaced persons and refugee populations inside Lebanon and the communities that host them. The assistance will also support those fleeing to neighboring Syria," the State Department said.
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Muttaqi meets Lavrov in Moscow, hopes for expansion of diplomatic ties
He mentioned the political and economic developments between Afghanistan and regional countries and expressed hope that the level of diplomatic relations between Russia and the Islamic Emirate will increase.
Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the sixth meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan.
The two sides discussed bilateral political and economic relations and regional issues, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) said in a statement on Saturday.
Muttaqi considered the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan of special importance for the Afghan government and requested that it become a mechanism for developing cooperation between Afghanistan and regional countries.
He mentioned the political and economic developments between Afghanistan and regional countries and expressed hope that the level of diplomatic relations between Russia and the Islamic Emirate will increase.
Muttaqi also talked about security and stability in Afghanistan, saying that security has made conditions suitable for investment in Afghanistan.
According to the Foreign Ministry’s statement, Lavrov emphasized on the expansion of his country's relations with Afghanistan in the political and economic fields, adding that Russian companies are interested in investing in agriculture, mining and transport sectors in Afghanistan.
He also pointed to Afghanistan's position in the wake of recent developments in the region and the world, saying that Afghanistan can play an important role in the region's economic connectivity.
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