Roshan Noorzai VOA News October 4, 2021 WASHINGTON — The international community is renewing its focus on Afghanistan’s mineral wealth, believed to be worth more than $1 trillion, lying untapped within its often-hostile geography. This comes as the newly formed Taliban government faces a looming economic crisis in the country. The mineral deposits could potentially be
By RFE/RL’s Tajik Service October 4, 2021 KHATLON, Tajikistan — The Taliban has provided Tajik militants based along the border with Tajikistan with new military vehicles, weaponry, and other equipment over the past two weeks, security sources in Tajikistan and northeastern Afghanistan say, amid an ongoing military buildup on both sides of the frontier. The sources
By Reid Standish Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty September 27, 2021 China is calling for sanctions against Afghanistan to be lifted as part of a wider push by Beijing to gain international political support for the Taliban’s rule in the country. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged his counterparts during talks with G20 ministers on September 23
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty September 21, 2021 The acting head of Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government, Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund, has met in Kabul with representatives from Russia, China, and Pakistan, Taliban official Ahmadullah Muttaqi tweeted on September 21. Muttaqi also uploaded photos purportedly showing Russian envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq Khan,
By RFE/RL’s Tajik Service September 17, 2021 Leaders of the Russia- and China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) have urged the world to unfreeze Afghanistan’s assets and boost assistance to the war-torn nation as it teeters on the brink of crisis following the Taliban’s return to power last month. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart,
By VOA News September 10, 2021 China on Wednesday announced a $31 million aid package for Afghanistan, in what appears to be one of the first new foreign aid pledges for the Taliban-ruled country. The aid will include food, winter weather supplies and COVID-19 vaccines. “China has decided to urgently provide $30.96 million (200 million
Haaretz: After an interlude of two decades, Pakistan has conquered Afghanistan, again. For Pakistan’s real rulers, the military, the time has come to cash in on that coin. Click here to read more (external link). Related For China, Taliban rule in Afghanistan brings both opportunity and risk
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty September 2, 2021 The Taliban says China will maintain diplomatic relations with Afghanistan and the new rulers in Kabul will rely on Beijing for economic support after the withdrawal of U.S.-led international forces. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica on September 2 that China was the group’s “main partner”