Taliban Was Never On Iran's List Of Terrorist Groups, Says Former Iranian Official

Mousavi said that Iran had refused to sign the comprehensive strategic cooperation document due to the previous Afghan government's insistence on listing the Taliban as a terrorist group.

In a note, Rasoul Mousavi discussed the upcoming visit of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Afghanistan and the need to sign a comprehensive strategic cooperation document with the Taliban.

The document was not signed during the previous Afghan government because of Iran's refusal to list the Taliban as a terrorist group, he said.

In the note, published by the IRAF News Agency, Mousavi called Abbas Araghchi's upcoming visit to Afghanistan important and stressed that the Taliban should pay attention to Tehran's opposition to the designation of this group as a terrorist group.

"During the previous Afghan government, long negotiations were underway between Iran and Afghanistan on a document called the Comprehensive Document on Iran-Afghanistan Cooperation, which progressed to the final stage, but was stopped due to a dispute and was not signed," he wrote.

"At that time, the Afghan side insisted that the Taliban be designated as a terrorist group and that the two countries declare their cooperation against the group," Mousavi added, explaining that the Islamic Republic had rejected the request due to the continuation of the Doha talks between former Afghan government officials and the Taliban.

The former assistant to the Iranian foreign minister also said that one of the most important gaps in Iran-Taliban relations is the lack of a comprehensive long-term cooperation agreement.

The comprehensive document on strategic cooperation between Iran and Afghanistan, which was discussed in the fields of economy, culture, security, refugees, and water since 2014, was not finalised until the end of the republic's rule in Afghanistan. There are no details of this document.

Germany Plans To Deport Another Group Of 'Criminal' Afghan Migrants

Jan 25, 2025, 09:57 GMT+0

Germany is planning to fly a group of convicted criminals of Afghan nationality to their home country for the second time since the Taliban took power, newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on Friday.

According to the report, the German government is planning another flight to Afghanistan.

The newspaper quoted the German Interior Ministry as saying that the flight of these Afghan refugees will be carried out with the help of a regional partner.

The exact date of the deportation has not been announced, but according to information from the German Interior Ministry, their flight is likely to take place shortly before the German parliamentary elections on February 23.

After a deadly knife attack in Germany, the German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said that she was working hard to deport more criminals to Afghanistan.

German police earlier announced that they had arrested a 28-year-old Afghan man on charges of killing two people, including a child.

Germany began deporting Afghan criminals in September this year. The flight was carrying 28 people and was transferred from Leipzig Airport to Kabul.

World Education Day: UNAMA Calls On Taliban To Immediately End Ban On Girls' Education

Jan 24, 2025, 17:01 GMT+0

On World Education Day, the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) once again called on the Taliban to end the "tragedy" of banning education for millions of Afghan girls.

UNAMA said that Afghan girls have been deprived of their basic right to education since the past 1,225 days.

Roza Otunbayeva, head of UNAMA, has called the Taliban's ban on girls' education a tragedy for millions of Afghan girls.

She stressed that no country has made progress by leaving half of its population behind and that the Taliban should allow girls to return to school.

The United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Friday (January 24) said in a statement that the organisation is celebrating World Education Day with "deep regret and concern" for the millions of Afghan girls deprived of education.

"It is a blatant injustice and a tragedy that millions of Afghan girls have been deprived of their right to education. No country can ever prosper by disabling and abandoning half of its population."

According to the UNAMA statement, 1,225 days have passed since the Taliban closed girls' schools above the sixth grade to Afghan girls.

The ban on girls' education in schools above the sixth grade and university has been widely condemned domestically and internationally.

After banning girls' education, the Taliban has repeatedly said for more than three years that the move is "temporary" and has ignored calls for the reopening of schools.

Quality, Gender-Free Education Essential For Afghanistan's Wellbeing, Says EU

Jan 24, 2025, 15:55 GMT+0

On the occasion of the International Day of Education, the European Union Delegation to Afghanistan said that high-quality, gender-free education is essential for Afghanistan's well-being and self-sufficiency.

The European Union wrote that education is a fundamental right for all and that the EU is working to ensure that Afghans have access to education.

The EU mission to Afghanistan wrote on Friday, January 24, that the EU stands in solidarity with all Afghans and supports Afghans' efforts to access the fundamental right to education and build a prosperous Afghanistan.

The European Union emphasised on the importance of quality education for all, regardless of gender, while Afghan girls and women above the sixth grade are deprived of any education in Afghanistan. After taking control of Afghanistan, the Taliban has closed all educational centres for girls.

Earlier, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said that Afghan girls have been deprived of their basic right to education for 1,225 days. The UN office once again called on the Taliban to end the "tragedy" of banning education for millions of Afghan girls.

Tawazon Media Started Its Activities Outside Afghanistan

Jan 24, 2025, 14:45 GMT+0

A number of Afghan journalists in exile announced the establishment and start of Tawazon Media.

The outlet announced that 70 percent of its activities will focus on covering human rights issues in Afghanistan.

Tawazon Media said in a statement on Friday, January 24, that the outlet was founded by journalists in exile and that its staff work voluntarily and without financial privileges.

According to this statement, Tawazon is an independent and impartial media outlet that currently operates digitally, through social networks and YouTube.

Tawazon Media announced that it is going to broadcast in Pashto, Persian and English. The outlet said that it would cover current humanitarian issues in Afghanistan with the help of its journalists in 20 provinces.

The outlet is run by a number of professional journalists in exile and is trying to address issues that have not been covered so far, the statement said.

CSTO To Launch Programme To Strengthen Tajikistan's Border With Afghanistan This Year

Jan 24, 2025, 13:47 GMT+0

Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) Secretary-General Imangali Tasmagambetov announced that the programme to strengthen Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan will begin in 2025.

The programme includes specific measures aimed at ensuring the security of CSTO member states, he said.

The Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) said in a statement that Tasmagambetov announced the achievements of the CSTO in 2024 and the plans for 2025 at a meeting in Moscow on Thursday, December 23.

The draft plan to strengthen Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan was studied and agreed upon by the CSTO countries in 2024.

Regional organisations, including the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), have repeatedly expressed concern over the past three years about the risk of extremism spreading from Afghanistan to Central Asia.

According to the agreed plan, CSTO member states must determine the necessary resources to protect Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan.

In September 2024, Tasmagambetov said that there is a common understanding that peace and stability cannot be achieved without working together.

He also announced that documents have been signed to equip CSTO forces with modern and advanced weapons and military equipment.

According to Russian media, the plan to strengthen Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan has been designed in three phases and a five-year implementation period.

Earlier, representatives from more than 40 countries expressed concern over the growing spread of extremism, radical religious teachings and racial discrimination in various countries. At a meeting in Moscow, they warned that the situation could lead to catastrophic consequences.

•