Special Envoys and Representatives for Afghanistan from nine countries and the European Union met in Paris late last month to discuss the situation in Afghanistan and noted, among other issues, the deterioration in the humanitarian and economic situations. In a joint statement issued on Monday, participating countries, including Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, the United […]

Foreign Affair Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi says the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has fulfilled all commitments made in the Doha Agreement but accused the United States of violating the deal. In an interview with BBC, Muttaqi said the US has not fulfilled its promises to release prisoners and lift the travel ban on its leaders and that the IEA […]

Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi, the administrative deputy prime minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), met with Tariq Ali Bakhit, the special representative of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for Afghanistan, and his delegation, in Kabul on Monday. According to the office of the deputy prime minister, the OIC’s special envoy for Afghanistan said humanitarian aid to Afghanistan […]

The recent conference on international security policy focused extensively on the significance of the Global South to the west’s security. As power competition with China and Russia intensifies, the west is compelled to reassess its approach to relations with these countries. “I am struck by how much we are losing the trust of the Global South.” –French President Emmanuel Macron […]

In his Federal Assembly address, President Putin emphasized that Russia is not only an independent nation-state but also a distinct civilization with its own identity, which is in conflict and actively opposes the values of ‘western civilization.’ Russian President Vladimir Putin’s much awaited address to the Russian Federal Assembly on Tuesday should be interpreted as a tour de force of […]

The prospect of a US-China war has entered the realm of reality. Increased provocations from US military and political officials regarding the status of Taiwan – which China considers to be part of its historic territory – have heightened the possibility of confrontation in recent years. With only 13 out of 193 UN member states recognizing the government in Taipei […]

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s second visit to Malaysia ended without much fanfare and hype as opposed to her first visit last year. Her visit underscored the criticality of the ties to both countries, particularly for Canberra. Malaysia and Australia have always been reliant on one another in a greater geostrategic aspect, one that transcends the normal parameter of common […]

The European Union’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, has expressed hope that dialogue among Afghans will take place inside their country. “I would hope that dialogue can take place inside their country. I don’t think there is a need to exclude Afghans from outside, but I think my experience is that to be able to have a meaningful dialogue […]

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, Economic Deputy of the Prime Minister, on Sunday said that the 20-year war did a lot of harm to the environment, especially in terms of air quality and nature. Addressing an event to mark a national tree planting campaign organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock in Badam Bagh area of Kabul city, […]

Like most Western industrialised countries, Taiwan experienced a sustained decline in fertility rates and increased life expectancy that together resulted in population ageing. But due to the fast fertility decline in recent decades, the pace of aging has been continuously accelerating — Taiwan became an ‘ageing society’ in 1993, an ‘aged society’ in 2018 and will become a ‘super-aged’ society […]