2 people killed in Afghanistan last week

KABUL (Pajhwok): Last week, security officials of the regional countries met in Bishkek for discussion on Afghanistan, World Bank (WB) announced $300 million aid and pledged resumption of Central Asia South Asia (CASA)-1000 project in the country.

In addition, the UN-led special representatives meeting about Afghanistan begins today (Sunday) in Doha.

Last week’s major events:

2-day UN-led special representatives meeting on Afghanistan begins on Sunday

Last week a meeting held in Bishkek discussed situation in Afghanistan

FM Muttaqi during a meeting with Russian special representative discussed promotion of bilateral relationship

FM Muttaqi approves letter regarding the opening of Azarbaijan embassy in Kabul

WB resumes work on CASA-1000 project in Afghanistan

WB provide $300 million to Afghanistan

Casualties:

Two people were killed in Afghanistan last week in separate incident.

According to reports unknown gunmen killed a man in Nimroz province and a father killed his drug addicted son in Daikundi province.

Note: Casualties figure here are based on Pajhwok Afghan News reports, there is possibility that some incidents may have not reported or some source did not provide exact casualties figure.

According to reports previous week eight people were killed and one injured in Afghanistan.

This comes that before August 15, 2021, regime change in Afghanistan besides criminal incidents, hundreds of civilians and personnel from conflicting parties were killed and injured every week.

Doha Meeting:

The second UN-led meeting of special representatives on Afghanistan is scheduled to take place in Doha on February 18^th and 19^th.

U.S. Special Representative Thomas West and US Special Envoy for Afghan Woment Rgiths Rina Amiri represent US while Russian Special Envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabllove represents Moscow in this meeting.

Besides US and Russian representatives from 18 countries, including China, Iran, India, Japan, Tajikistan, France, Germany and European Union will take part in the meeting.

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary General, said: “The objective of the meeting is “to discuss how to approach increasing international engagement in a more coherent, coordinated and structured manner, including through consideration of the recommendations of the independent assessment on Afghanistan.”

Deputy Prime Minister Mawlavi Abdul Kabir said Doha meeting is being held about the conduct of international community with the Islmaic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).

Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi during a meeting with Russian official said if the Doha meeting provided a basis for meaningful consultations on all issues at a high level between IEA and UN, it is a good opportunity, but if the conditions of the IEA are not taken into consideration, it is considered preferable not to participate.

EU-Central Asian Countries meeting on Afghanistan

Last week a meeting of EU and regional countries national security advisors held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

TASS reported security officials from Iran, China, India, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan attended the Sixth Regional Security Dialogue.

The participants discussed recent developments in Afghanistan, drug smuggling and the arising threats they posed.

According to Kyrgyzstan’s Kabar News, President Japarov told regional security officials about the current situation in Afghanistan.

Russian National Security Council’s Secretary Nikolai Patrushev claimed that after 20-years of US military presence in Afghanistan more than 20 terrorist groups and thousands of terrorist were active there now.

This comes that similar concerns have been expressed in other regional meetings as well about the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan but the IEA repeatedly rejected these claims.

IEA Legitimacy:

A US State Department strategic document said that US was striving for the resumption of consular service in Afghanistan, a move welcomed by the IEA.

But last week, US State Department Spokesperson John Kirby said US policy towards IEA did not changed, adding if the current Afghan government wanted legitimacy it should implement the pledges they had made.

IEA Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said: “We interact with our neighbors, the region and the countries of the world, and the fact that America does not want to interact with the IEA is its own problem. But it would be good if the US interacts with Afghanistan.”

Meanwhile, acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has held a meeting with Adviser to the President, Special Presidential Representative on Climate Issues Edelgeriyev Ruslan and discussed bilateral relationship, cooperation on climate change and promoting diplomatic relationship between Russia and Afghanistan.

Last week Azerbaijan Ambassador to Afghanistan Ilham Mammadov has held a meeting with acting Foreign Minister Mawlavi Amir Khan Muttaqi and presented the official note regarding opening of Azerbaijan Embassy in Kabul

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was the first time Azarbaijan opened embassy in Kabul.

Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesperson of he MoFA, said: “We have up to 40 embassies in other countries opened and around 20 embassies of other countries are opened and active in Kabul.”

Humanitarian Assistance:

World Bank’s executive board has approved $300 aid for Afghanistan and the grant would be paid out through the International Development Association (IDA).

The new funding would be deployed “through grants to United Nations agencies and other public international organizations, the WB said in a statement.

Portagal also provide 200,000 euro assistance to Afghanistan.

WB resumes work on CASA-1000:

Last week, World Bank also approved the resumption of a $1.2 billion clean energy project known as CASA-1000, which involves three countries Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan.

“Construction in the other three participating countries is nearly complete and these countries have requested that CASA-1000 activities in Afghanistan to be resumed to avoid the risk of the project becoming a stranded asset,” according to the WB statement.