Afghan govt ready to resume talks with US: Mujahid

KABUL (Pajhwok): Deputy information and culture minister Zabihullah Mujahid on Wednesday said the caretaker government of Afghanistan was ready to resume talks with the US in Qatar and welcomed all dialogues on Afghanistan for promotion of security and economic stability in the region.

US special envoy to Afghanistan, Tom West, earlier said that the US is preparing for the next round of talks with the Taliban in Doha and had consulted NATO representatives about recognition of Afghan caretaker government.

Deputy information and culture minister, Zabihullah Mujahid also said that the US is ready for the next round of talks with the Taliban in Doha.

He said the Afghan government is ready for the talks to implement the agreement signed between Afghanistan and the US. Implementation of the agreement will have a positive impact on the future of both countries while its non-implementation would cause consequences, he added.

Mujahid said the caretaker government of Afghanistan would also address the concerns of the US and other countries about the Afghan government.

He hoped that the talks would yield good results and the Afghan government would convince the world through negotiations to accept the demands of the Afghan people.

India Summit on Afghanistan

The Delhi Regional Security Dialogue, involving national security advisers and officials from eight countries, began Wednesday morning.

National security advisors from Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan were in attendance.

Reports say that the regional security chiefs expressed their concern over the rise in “terrorist activities” in Afghanistan during the summit and called for a joint counter-terrorism strategy.

Zabihullah Mujahid, talking about the summit today here, said that they welcomed any meeting that worked for security and economic stability in the region.

He said all countries, including India, now know that Afghanistan’s security and economic growth is in the interest of the entire region and that countries in the region will not make wrong decisions on the regard.

Efforts are on for recognition of the caretaker government of Afghanistan in the near future, he said.

Troika meeting on Afghanistan

Meanwhile, a delegation led by Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister, Mualvi Amir Khan Mottaqi, is on a three-day visit to Pakistan.

A day earlier, Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said on that the troika meeting would be attended by representatives from Russia, US and Pakistan in Islamabad to discuss recognition of Afghanistan’s caretaker government.

However, Zabihullah Mujahid about the participation of the Afghan government delegation in the Troika meeting said,“The meeting has its own members, the Afghan government was also not invited to the previous meetings, the recognition issue may be an important issue in this meeting.”

Mujahid added that the actin Afghan foreign minister and his delegation had traveled to Pakistan at the invitation of the foreign minister of Pakistan. The two sides would discuss strengthening ties, economy, transit, migration and movement of people between the two countries, he said.

Problems related to migration

Iran’s interior minister has called on the international community to help stop the immigration of Afghans, and unfreeze their assets. He warned if the Afghans were not helped, refugees would flee to Europe. “What should we do, why aid is not given, why Afghanistan’s reserves have been frozen? Why not help the Afghans?”

Zabihullah Mujahid said the increase in the number of Afghan refugees in Iran was a problem for both Afghanistan and Iran.

He said Iran had tolerated Afghan refugees in the past and still needed to help solve problems regarding Afghan immigrants. He said the Afghan government will also try to stop the influx of Afghan refugees into Iran.

Mujahid said the Afghan government would also work to build capacity within the country to discourage Afghans from migrating to foreign countries.

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