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US, Taliban discuss Afghan peace process
US State Secretary Mike Pompeo spoke to Taliban deputy leader Mullah Baradar via video conference and discussed the Afghan peace process.
Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for the Taliban said in a tweet that the two sides discussed the implementation of Doha deal, US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the intra-Afghan peace talks.
Shaheen added that the US Secretary has called on the Taliban and the Afghan government to reduce violence. However, the Taliban blamed the Afghan government for the escalation of violence, saying that the Afghan forces patrol and establish checkpoints in the group’s controlled areas.
Meanwhile, Masoum Stanekzai, head of the government’s peace negotiating team claimed that the regional countries’ disputes have complicated the peace process.
“One of the things to do to start intra-Afghan negotiation is to reduce violence. Disputes between countries in the region have complicated the Afghan peace process,” said Masoum Stanekzai, head of the government’s peace negotiating team.
Meanwhile, the Taliban’s political bureau said that Ibrahim Taherian, Iran’s special envoy for Afghanistan, has also met with Mullah Baradar, the Taliban’s political deputy in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
Iranian media reported that the meeting focused on US non-interference in the Afghan negotiations, as well as on the interests of the two countries.
“Unfortunately, there seems to be no significant progress,” said Abdullah Qarluq, deputy leader of the National Movement Party.
The talks come as Zalmay Khalilzad and the CEO of the US-based Global Investment Company are also traveling to Qatar, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan to pave the way for intra-Afghan talks.
“As long as the United States does not reach an agreement with countries in the region, such as Russia, peace in Afghanistan will be fragile,” said Moqadam Amin, a military expert.
“Increased violence by the Taliban is hampering the peace process,” said Najia Anwari, a government ministry spokeswoman for peace.
Negotiations between Afghans are expected to take place next month. But the release of prisoners and the escalation of violence is still a point of contention between the Taliban and the Afghan government.
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IEA urges World Bank to resume work on 7,000 incomplete projects
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.
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Ten people killed by floods in Helmand
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.
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UN envoy meets Indian foreign minister to discuss Afghanistan
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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