Uzbekistan

Afghan Lawmakers Voice Alarm On Air Force As US Withdrawal Nears

Afghan lawmakers on Friday voiced alarm that their air force was depleted in the face of a Taliban offensive as they asked the United States to finalize assistance ahead of a troop withdrawal. In virtual talks this week with the US Congress, an Afghan delegation said it appealed for quick action on aircraft maintenance and munitions supplies as President Joe Biden prepares to end America’s longest-ever war by the end of next month.
Exclusive: Echoes, uncertainty as Afghan pilots await U.S. help in Tajikistan

A U.S.-trained Afghan pilot was talking to Reuters on a smuggled cellphone from Tajikistan, where he is being held, when something strange happened - his voice started looping, repeating everything he had just said, word for word.
ATN secures rights to broadcast FIFA Futsal World Cup

Ariana Television Network has secured the rights to broadcast FIFA Futsal World Cup 2021, which starts on Sunday in Lithuania.
Iran’s Exports to Afghanistan At About $4 Billion
US May Rely on New Bases Near Afghanistan for Future Ops

The United States Central Command as well as American diplomats are working on plans with countries in the region on agreements to base troops and aircraft for counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan after all forces are withdrawn from the country.
Afghanistan Responds To Uzbekistan Border Incident

The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has responded to the border incident of June 23 in which that Afghan nationals crossed into Uzbekistan.
Students from Afghanistan to Obtain Education in Uzbekistan

The Ministry of Higher Education of Afghanistan and the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Education of Uzbekistan has signed a memorandum of understanding in Tashkent, Uzbek authorities said.
Uzbek FM, COAS Bajwa Discuss Afghan Peace Process
China to provide Afghanistan emergency aid of $30, 96 million, corona vaccine

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi pledged that his country is willing to provide Afghanistan with Yun 200 million ($30, 96 million) worth of emergency aid and three million doses of corona vaccine.
US looks into having 3 Central Asian states take in at-risk Afghans

The Biden administration is exploring having three Central Asian countries temporarily take in thousands of Afghans who worked with U.S. forces and face threats from the Taliban now that American troops are withdrawing after 20 years, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.
Uzbekistan closes border with Afghanistan in response to Covid-19 pandemic

The exacerbation of the epidemic situation in Afghanistan has led to the suspension of movement across the Afghan-Uzbek border, Uzbek Health Ministry announced.
DABS working to increase power load from Uzbekistan

Afghanistan’s power utility company Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) said efforts are underway to normalize the transmission of electricity imported from Uzbekistan and to increase this supply to more than 450 megawatts.
Qatar Sends Mediation Offer To Afghanistan’s Warring Sides: Envoy

Mutlaq Al-Qahtani, Qatar’s special envoy for counterterrorism and mediation of conflict resolution, said that a proposal for employing third-party mediation to revive peace talks had been sent to Afghanistan’s warring sides.
Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan will jointly make efforts to bring US investment in Afghanistan

The nation heads of Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan will make joint requests to the US Financial Corporation for International Development to bring US investment into Afghanistan. In addition, similar requests to be made to other international organizations. This effect has been claimed in several recently published media reports.
Watching Taliban Advances With Concern: Kirby

Pentagon officials are watching the Taliban’s sweeping advances in Afghanistan “with deep concern” and are encouraging its Afghan partners to “step up” and defend their country amid the pullout of US forces, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said on Sunday.
New, Civilized Afghan Taliban May Prefer Peace Talks: Rashid

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said that “new, civilized Afghan Taliban” will prefer the peace talks and that Islamabad will accept any government in Afghanistan that has the support of the Afghan people.
President Ghani to Attend Tashkent Conference

President Ashraf Ghani will visit Tashkent to attend a conference on Central and South Asia, reports an Uzbek media outlet.
Ghani Announces Ceasefire On Eid Days

In line with the announcement of a ceasefire by the Taliban, President Ashraf Ghani instructed government forces to observe the ceasefire on Eid days and not to hesitate to defend the people if the Taliban violates it.
Putin says we need to discuss ‘legalizing’ political force in Afghanistan

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that there would be no political force to talk to directly if Afghanistan breaks up as a country and called for joint efforts to decide about “legalizing” a political force in the country.
US Administration Working To Offer More Visas To Afghan Nationals

The Biden administration is working with the Congress to offer more visas to Afghan nationals who risk being targeted by the re-emergent Taliban for assisting US forces during the two-decade war there. The legislative push comes as officials rush to evacuate thousands of Afghans to neighboring countries before the withdrawal of US forces is completed next month.
Tajikistan says hosting Afghans awaiting U.S. visas not on agenda

Tajikistan has no plans to temporarily house thousands of Afghans awaiting U.S. immigrant visas after having worked for American forces now pulling out of the country, Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin said on Tuesday.
Oxygen In Short Supply In Afghanistan As It Battles Third Wave Of COVID-19

Oxygen is in short supply in Afghanistan as the country is battling a third wave of COVID-19 cases and its hospitals are being overrun. Health ministry spokesperson Ghulam Dastigir Nazari said that the government is working to install more oxygen supply plants in 10 provinces where up to 65 percent of people tested in some areas are positive for COVID-19.
Afghanistan asks Tajikistan to increase the power supply

Afghanistan is conducting negotiations with Tajikistan on increasing the electricity supply, Avesta news agency has reported.
Uzbekistan to resume direct flights to Afghanistan in January

A presidential decree announced on Monday that Uzbekistan plans to increase two-way trade with Afghanistan to $2 billion by 2023 and resume direct flights between the two countries starting in 2021.
Uzbekistan Increases Import of Electricity to Afghanistan from 300 MW to 400 MW

Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) says Uzbekistan has increased its electricity imports to Afghanistan from 300 to 400 megawatts.
Afghanistan to Face Uzbekistan in CAFA Junior Championship

Afghanistan's U-20 (under 20) national football team on Wednesday left Kabul for Dushanbe, Tajikistan, for the CAFA Junior Championship, an international football competition in Central Asia.
Uzbekistan Offers to Hold Conference on Afghanistan in Tashkent

Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has offered to hold an international conference on Afghanistan in the spring of 2021 in Tashkent, he said on Tuesday during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit held under the chairmanship of Russia in the format of a video conference.
Abdullah Exchanges View with Jihadi Leader on Afghan Peace

KABUL, Afghanistan – Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR) Abdullah Abdullah tackled peace process with former president Hamid Karzai and Jihadi leader Abdurrab Rasul Sayaf on Thursday.
Afghanistan-Uzbekistan-Pakistan railway line mapped out in new deal

Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan on Tuesday signed an agreement for a landmark railway link aimed at bolstering trade ties between Central and South Asia.
UN Warns of Expanding Threat from Daesh, al Qaeda in Afghanistan

The United Nations in a new report is warning that the threat from terror groups such as Daesh and al Qaeda is expanding in many places in Afghanistan where the security situation remains fragile with uncertainty surrounding the peace process and a risk of further deterioration.