Four Afghan nationals have been arrested in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia, and charged with kidnapping three other foreigners and holding them for ransom. Officials with the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) said Thursday that the kidnappers demanded 18,000 euros (US$19,556) in ransom for the victims, who were from Iran and Switzerland, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) reported. […]

Pakistan’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam political party chief, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, has said that a mechanism should be created to address the issues between Pakistan and Afghanistan. In an interview with Geo TV, Fazl-ur-Rehman said that Pakistan had been hoping that the Islamic Emirate would be a good friend for the country, but the recent events disappointed Islamabad. He considered his recent visit […]

The world’s leaders, policymakers, commentators, and other movers and shakers gathered in the Swiss mountain town of Davos last week for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. On top of the agenda were some of the world’s most pressing geopolitical issues: Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Hamas, China and Taiwan, trade and economics, energy security, and global shipping. […]

Hassan Kazemi Qomi, ambassador and special representative of the Iranian president in Afghanistan, said on Tuesday in an interview with the Iranian media, IRNA, that the Americans, despite their disgraceful defeat, continue to commit insecurity in Afghanistan and support terrorism, especially Daesh. IRNA quoted Qomi as saying the instability and insecurity of Afghanistan is still America’s priority and they follow […]

Acting Minister of Interior Sirajuddin Haqqani met with Raffaella Iodice, the head of the EU delegation in Afghanistan this week and said Afghanistan needs to be given its ‘membership’ in international organizations. “The Afghan government should get its membership in important international organizations, so that the Afghans will have their real representatives there which will also help the issues to […]

As the Taliban fail to appease Western economies, an informal engagement from Central Asian states (Kazakhstan adding to the list) reflects some sense of urgency in maintaining diplomatic relationships without formally recognising the Taliban. Is it humanitarian aid or strengthening regional trade with the new rulers, cloaked with regional ambitions? As the world transcended into 2024, the situation in Afghanistan […]

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of Hizb-e-Islami, has said the appointment of a new special representative by the United Nations for Afghanistan will be a repeat of a failed experience, because past experiences show that the organization has neither a practical plan nor the resources to solve the Afghanistan crisis. “The experiences of the past have repeatedly shown that the United […]

Iran’s ministry of foreign affairs on Wednesday expressed its views on how to help Afghanistan overcome its challenges but still maintained the need for an inclusive government in the country. According to a statement, Tehran believes stability and security in Afghanistan and the region require close attention be paid by the United Nations to humanitarian issues and other problems. Iran […]

Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi and Iran’s special representative for Afghanistan, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, have discussed and exchanged views on holding a meeting of special representatives of regional countries for Afghanistan in Kabul. Recent bilateral economic developments between Afghanistan and Iran, expansion of diplomatic relations, facilitation of consular services for Afghan refugees in Iran, border security and […]

Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s Ambassador and Special Representative to Afghanistan, stated in a meeting with the Deputy Political Chief of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) that Iran does not support opponents of the current government in Kabul. The meeting between Iran’s ambassador and Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the Deputy Political Chief of the Taliban, took place on Monday night. According […]