Afghanistan Times

KABUL – Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, Ahmadullah Zahid, has called on China to further ease trade restrictions on Afghan exports. In a recent meeting with the deputy head of China’s General Administration of Customs, Zahid advocated for reductions in value-added tax (VAT) and exemptions from stringent quarantine …

KABUL – In a significant policy shift, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. military will no longer engage in nation-building operations abroad. Delivering a politically charged commencement address at West Point on May 24, Trump criticized previous administrations for deploying American forces in what he termed “nation-building crusades” in …

KABUL – In a major diplomatic move, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced Thursday that Islamabad seeks to form a regional bloc with Afghanistan, China, and Bangladesh to strengthen cooperation and address common challenges. Speaking at the All Pakistan Chambers Presidents’ Conference, Dar emphasized the need …

KABUL – Over one million Afghans forcibly returned from Pakistan are at serious risk of falling into crisis unless urgent action is taken to support their reintegration, the Asia Displacement Solutions Platform (ADSP) and its members—the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), International Rescue Committee (IRC), and Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)—warned in …

KABUL – In a joint statement released today, leaders of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) urged the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan, emphasizing the need to respect human rights and intensify efforts against terrorism and drug trafficking. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov highlighted the importance of peace and …

KABUL – The United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced that the U.S. Department of Defense is conducting a sweeping review of the chaotic 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, vowing it will result in “accountability.” However, critics are questioning whether the review will address deeper failures of America’s longest war …

KABUL — India’s strategic calculus in Afghanistan is facing a fresh challenge as China emerges as a key broker between the Taliban and Pakistan. The latest trilateral meetings involving Chinese, Pakistani, and Taliban officials signal deeper coordination — a development that has sparked concern in New Delhi. Just days after …

KABUL – The Taliban administration is in advanced negotiations with Russia and has opened talks with China to conduct trade in local currencies, bypassing the U.S. dollar, Afghanistan’s acting commerce minister revealed in an exclusive interview. Minister Haji Nooruddin Azizi told Reuters that technical teams from Kabul and Moscow are …

KABUL — China reaffirmed its support for Afghanistan’s integration into regional development frameworks by hosting a high-level trilateral meeting today with the foreign ministers of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The meeting, led by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, brought together Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi and Pakistan’s Deputy …

KABUL – U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a full department-level review of the 2021 U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, calling the Biden administration’s handling of the exit “disastrous and embarrassing.” In a statement issued Tuesday, Hegseth directly blamed the withdrawal for the deaths of 13 American service members …