Latest world news

Afghanistan Toes US Decision, Not To Participate Moscow Talks

Published

8 years ago

August 23, 2018

Afghanistan Toes US Decision, Not To Participate Moscow Talks

Following US decision not to participate in Afghan peace talks slated to be held in the first week of September in Moscow, Afghanistan government has also announced for not participating in the multilateral talks where 12 countries were invited. However, Taliban have agreed to participate in the talks.

According to Kabul based Tolo News network, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Wednesday said the Afghan government will not participate in the upcoming peace meeting. The ministry said government firmly believes in intra-Afghan dialogues. Kabul government has not received a formal invitation to attend the talks so far.

Sibghat Ahmadi, the deputy spokesman of Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “Any regional consensus about Pakistan needs to be structured in axis of the Afghan government. The peace process definitely needs to be carried out under the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. We will not participate in the Moscow talks.”

However, a former Taliban political figure Sayed Akbar Agha said Taliban will attend the meeting and will start discussions on the prospects of peace in Afghanistan with countries in the region.

Agha further said, “Taliban has agreed on the Moscow talks and they will attend it. These talks are related to Asia. Foreign forces have come to Asian countries and there are concerns among these countries about it. All these countries want foreign forces to withdraw from Afghanistan.”

There are reports that Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, head of Taliban’s political office, will lead the Taliban’s delegation in the talks.

Meanwhile AP reports from Washington that US has rejected an invitation to join Russia led talks on Afghanistan because they are “unlikely to help bring peace”. However, State Department spokesman said Wednesday that Trump administration was prepared to appoint a diplomatic veteran as a new special envoy for Afghanistan.

The State Department official, who was not authorised to be quoted, said that as a matter of principle, the US supports Afghan-led efforts to advance a peace settlement. Based on the previous Russia-led meetings on Afghanistan, the Moscow talks are “unlikely to yield any progress toward that end”.

But, the report said that a perception exists that taking the Afghan peace talks to different venues in the west and east will complicate the reconciliation process in the country.

Meantime, Mohammadullah Haidari, Afghanistan’s former ambassador to Syria said, “Today the Taliban are ready to talk with the US and also they are ready to talk with Russia, but those who claim to be Afghans and want to bring peace in Afghanistan or talk about the peace process should talk to Afghans. However, they are not ready to talk with the legitimate government of Afghanistan.”

Moreover, there are reports that Alice Wells, the US’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs has met top Taliban officials in Doha.

Meanwhile, Reuters, quoted an Afghan official working with foreign ministry saying that Afghan government had “decided against attending the Moscow conference” and that they will “hold direct talks” with the Taliban, without involving foreign powers.

Afghan reaction came a day after Russian foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted, by Interfax news agency, saying that Taliban plans to take part in the 4 September talks in Russia’s capital Moscow. Taliban sources have also confirmed to Aljazeera about its participation in the Moscow talks.

Russia has invited 12 countries, including US, to the multilateral peace talks, but Washington has declined the invitation. Foreign Ministry in Moscow said on Wednesday it regretted the US decision.

US also did not participate in the international talks on Afghanistan held in April last year in Moscow.

On Monday, Zamir Kabulov, a Russian foreign ministry official, was cited by Interfax as saying that Moscow has invited the Taliban, which is banned in Russia and considered a terrorist organisation. Kabulov is Russian President’s special envoy to Afghanistan who also served as ambassador in Afghanistan, Iraq and UN.

According to RIA news agency, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Moscow Abdul Kayum Kuchai, had welcomed the Taliban’s involvement in the talks.

There are reports that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo intends to appoint Zalmay Khalilzad, former US ambassador to Afghanistan, as special envoy, to deal with the Afghan-Taliban peace process.

Aljazeera reports that a Western diplomat based in Kabul has said that Russia was seeking to increase its influence and improve its image in Afghanistan by inviting Taliban leaders for talks.

In February this year, the Afghan Taliban had called for direct talks with the US to take place in its political office in Doha, the capital of Qatar. A Senior Taliban official based in Doha told Aljazeera that the group invites US officials to its political office in Qatar to discuss a “peaceful solution” to end the bloodshed in Afghanistan.

According to Wikipedia, senior Taliban leaders are currently stationed in Doha. The original purpose of the Taliban leaders’ presence in Qatar was to open an office that would facilitate reconciliation between members of the Taliban, Afghanistan, the US and other countries. However, shortly after the opening of the Taliban office in 2013, the office was closed by the Qatari government.

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Trump rejects Iran’s 7-day peace plan, says deal can come after US polls

US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s seven-day proposal to end hostilities and indicated that a deal could come after the US midterm elections in November.

Published

4 hours ago

September 26, 2026

APNLive Desk

US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s latest proposal aimed at bringing an end to the ongoing conflict, while indicating that a possible agreement could come after the US midterm elections in November.

Iran had proposed a seven-day framework under which hostilities could be brought to an end, the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and negotiations over its nuclear programme could resume.

Iran’s seven-day proposal

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had put forward the proposal through intermediaries. Under the plan, the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened by the end of the seventh day if specified conditions were met, while broader nuclear discussions would restart.

The proposal was based largely on an earlier understanding reached between Washington and Tehran, but Iran sought to implement the latest framework much faster. The earlier arrangement had provided a longer period for negotiations.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important waterway for global energy shipments, making its reopening a key element of any effort to ease the wider conflict.

Trump points to US midterm elections

Trump, speaking at the United Nations, showed no indication that he was ready to immediately resume negotiations on the terms proposed by Tehran.

He called for the economic isolation of Iran and said he believed a deal could be reached after the US midterm elections in November. Trump also said Iran was waiting to see how he performed in the midterm elections.

The remarks came as Iranian officials signalled that they remained open to diplomacy and described the UN General Assembly as an opportunity to revive negotiations.

Nuclear talks remain part of Iran proposal

Iran’s latest plan links the easing of hostilities with the resumption of negotiations over its nuclear programme.

The proposal follows the collapse of an earlier US-Iran arrangement. According to reporting on the latest proposal, the new framework is intended to compress the timeline for implementing commitments that had previously been discussed by the two sides.

For now, Trump’s remarks indicate that Washington is not accepting Tehran’s seven-day framework as presented, while Iran continues to put diplomacy and negotiations forward as part of its proposal.

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Iranian President Pezeshkian at UN says Iranians have been victims of US terrorism

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at the UN General Assembly that Iranians had been victims of US terrorism and insisted that Iran had acted in self-defence.

Published

3 days ago

September 23, 2026

APNLive Desk

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of subjecting Iranians to what he described as terrorism while addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

Pezeshkian said Iran had defended itself against attacks and rejected the characterisation of the country as a terrorist actor. His remarks came during a rare wartime appearance at the UN as tensions between Iran and the United States remain high.

Pezeshkian accuses US and Israel of attacks

Speaking at the General Assembly, Pezeshkian said Iranian civilians had been targeted by attacks and described the actions against his country as aggression.

“We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” he said, according to the report.

Pezeshkian also accused the United States and Israel of attacking Iran, while maintaining that Tehran’s response was an act of self-defence.

The Iranian president displayed photographs of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolchildren who, according to his account, were killed during the early days of the conflict.

Iran’s message at the UN

Pezeshkian’s address came against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and heightened tensions in the region.

Iranian officials had indicated ahead of the UN visit that they intended to highlight what Tehran considers attacks against its people and raise concerns over the international response to the conflict.

The Iranian delegation’s visit to New York also comes amid restrictions imposed by the United States on the delegation’s movement and other aspects of its stay, according to reporting ahead of the address.

Pezeshkian says Iran defended itself

Pezeshkian’s central message at the UN was that Iran’s military actions should be viewed as a response to attacks rather than terrorism.

His description of the conflict and the allegations against the United States and Israel represent the Iranian government’s position. They should therefore be attributed to Pezeshkian rather than presented as independently established facts.

Latest world news

PM Modi’s Canada visit could help wrap trade talks, says Canada PM Mark Carney

Canadian PM Mark Carney said he is looking forward to hosting PM Narendra Modi, with both countries aiming to conclude their ongoing trade negotiations.

Published

3 days ago

September 23, 2026

APNLive Desk

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he is looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as India and Canada continue efforts to advance their bilateral relationship and conclude ongoing trade negotiations.

The two countries have been working towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with both sides previously setting a target to conclude the negotiations in 2026.

Carney and Modi have held discussions on strengthening economic ties between India and Canada, including trade and investment. Their engagement has gained momentum following Carney’s visit to India earlier this year.

India-Canada trade talks

India and Canada formally resumed efforts towards a broader trade agreement after a period of strained bilateral ties. The two sides have committed to advancing negotiations on a CEPA covering their economic relationship.

In June, Carney and Modi reviewed progress in bilateral economic cooperation during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France. They expressed satisfaction with the progress in CEPA negotiations and reaffirmed their shared objective of concluding the talks in 2026.

During Carney’s visit to India in March, the two leaders had also agreed to accelerate negotiations on the CEPA and work towards finalising the agreement during 2026.

Modi’s proposed Canada visit

Carney had invited PM Modi to visit Canada in 2026, and the two leaders agreed to remain engaged through diplomatic channels to work towards a mutually convenient date for the visit.

The proposed visit comes as New Delhi and Ottawa seek to build on renewed diplomatic and economic engagement, with trade negotiations remaining a key part of the relationship.

The focus on completing the trade talks comes as both countries look to expand commercial ties and establish a broader economic framework through the proposed CEPA.