Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty February 21, 2019 Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani have signed an agreement on a strategic partnership between their countries. Turkmenistan’s State Information Agency said the two leaders signed the document in Ashgabat on February 21 after discussing bilateral trade, energy, and cultural ties. Berdymukhammedov reportedly said Turkmenistan
Tolo News: President Ashraf Ghani’s Special Representative for Regional Affairs for Consensus on Peace Mohammad Umer Daudzai said on Wednesday that there was the possibility that direct talks between government and the Taliban would start in the next few months. Addressing an Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission conference, Daudzai said people will soon witness direct negotiations. Click here
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty February 19, 2019 U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has called on Afghans to put aside their differences and unite as attempts to end Afghanistan’s 17-year war gain momentum. Khalilzad has held a series of direct talks with Taliban negotiators in the Middle East in recent months, although those discussions have not
Tolo News: “The government has started the illegal process of purging its political rivals in state institutions. This move is targeting the Peace and Moderation team and currently, at least 12 people who had relations with this team have been fired or forced to resign including [second deputy chief execute Mohammad] Mohaqiq, governors and some advisors,”
By RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal February 17, 2019 The Taliban has called off a planned round of peace talks in Pakistan, saying that most of the members of its negotiating team are unable to travel because they are subject to U.S. and UN sanctions. The statement was issued on February 17 — a day before the
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty February 15, 2019 The U.S. military is expected to trim troop levels in Afghanistan by more than 1,000 soldiers, a U.S. general told Reuters on February 15. U.S. President Donald Trump told Congress this month he intended to reduce U.S. forces in Afghanistan as negotiators make progress in talks with Taliban
The Media Line: Israeli troops reportedly are using a United States military base in Afghanistan from which to monitor and collect information on Iranian activities throughout the Persian Gulf. The Israeli special forces allegedly are operating with the approval of Kabul out of a U.S. Air Force installation in the western Afghanistan province of Herat
Tolo News: The Afghan government is reportedly working on a plan to create five new provinces in the country, rising the number of provinces to 39 from the current 34. The Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) has confirmed the plan, but has not revealed details. Sources said that government might declare Shinwar district of Nangarhar, Jaghori
1TV: Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani has barred his minister of foreign affairs from visiting the United States to attend an international meeting as he received no response to his letter to US President Donald Trump, sources told 1TV Sunday. According to sources, Ghani called Trump’s inattention to the letter an insult to the Afghan government. Click here
Tolo News: President Ashraf Ghani, who visited Nangarhar province on Sunday, said the Afghan government is ready to allow the Taliban to open an office in Kabul, Kandahar or Nangarhar. Ghani said “a sustainable peace and a peace with dignity” will come to the country and for this, he is ready to even sacrifice his life.