KABUL – The Afghan government welcomes all efforts leading to realization of righteous demands and will of the Afghan people and government to establish ceasefire and ensure lasting peace and stability in the country.

We welcome the Resolution explicitly advocating an end to violence and extremism, and emphasize the obligation of the Islamic scholars to persuade the Taliban to stop terrorist attacks, end bloodshed, and quit killing innocent civilians.

The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan calls on the Taliban; as the main cause of increased violence, viciously killing of students and civilians to respond, in light of the Quranic verses and Hadith, to the righteous demands of the Afghan people, Islamic scholars and the international community, and renounce violence by taking practical and tangible steps towards ceasefire and a political settlement.

Emphasizing the implementation of the provisions of the UN Security Council Resolution 2513, the Afghan government remains committed to continued necessary efforts to seek a political settlement, leading to meaningful negotiations and realization of the legitimate demands of the Afghan people to ensure lasting peace and stability in the Afghanistan.

KABUL- Deputy Foreign Minister Mirwais Nab received Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Kabul Jassim bin Mohammad Al-Khalidi to discuss bilateral affairs and progress in the Afghan peace process.

Deputy Foreign Minister stated that the Taliban have increased violence and have maintained their strong ties with Al Qaeda and other international terrorist groups. Mr. Nab highlighted the role of Islamic Scholars of Saudi Arabia in condemning war and violence in Afghanistan.

While affirming that the Taliban had yet to cut ties with Al Qaeda, Ambassador Al-Khalidi assured the Deputy Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia’s continued supports for peace and stability in Afghanistan and highlighted the role of religious scholars in this regard.

The Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Mohammad Haneef Atmar's visit to Saudi Arabia, ended successfully. The visit took place at the invitation of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan from 20th to the 23rd January 2021.

After performing the Hajj Umrah and pilgrimage to Medina, Foreign Minister Atmar met with various Saudi Arabian officials including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Commerce, the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, the President of the Islamic Development Bank, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Minister of Transport and Co-Chair of the Saudi-Afghan Joint Cooperation Commission, the Minister of Education, and Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council. In these meetings a number of decisions were made and agreements were reached.

1. Expanding Political Relations

• The Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia agreed to increase ongoing bilateral contacts and consultations to realize the vision of the two countries' leaders to further strengthen political relations and economic cooperation, and contribute to peace and stability.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The MoU will increase contacts and consultations between senior Afghan and GCC officials to strengthen political, economic, and cultural cooperation.
• Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia stressed the need to enhance security cooperation in the fight against terrorism and common threats.

2. Supporting the End of War and Ensuring Lasting Peace

• The Muslim World League shall hold a historic international conference of leading thinkers, scholars, and muftis of the Islamic World to support the cessation of hostilities, the end of bloodshed, and the success of the Afghan peace process.
• The Government of Saudi Arabia announced its support for the International Ulema Conference and the global consensus to end the war in Afghanistan.
• Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, rejected the crimes and terrorist acts in Afghanistan from the Islamic point of view.
• The head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) supported the government's flexible stance on peace and political participation.

3. Strengthening Economic Cooperation

• Afghan and Saudi officials agreed to finalize a mutual "Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Framework" involving four sectors: (1) trade, (2) investment, (3) guest workers, and (4) development cooperation.
• Both sides reviewed Sixty decisions of the first meeting of the Joint Cooperation Commission between the two countries, and they agreed to implement the remaining provisions. Both sides agreed to hold semi-annual meetings at the level of the Co-Chairs of the Joint Commission to evaluate agreements and progress.
• Both sides stressed on expanding transportation lines and removing barriers in shipment of Afghanistan's primary export goods to Saudi Arabia.
• It was agreed to send a technical team to Afghanistan to expertly examine the investment opportunities in the mineral resources and assess the comparative advantages in producing ond exporting agricultural and food products, and Afghanistan’s accession to regional supply and value chain.
• It was agreed to send a technical team of the Islamic Development Bank to examine Afghanistan's capacities and opportunities in various sectors to allow Afghanistan to join the “Member Country Partnership Strategy" and enter into partnership with the IsDB.

4. Educational and Cultural Collaborations

• The Foreign Minister and the Saudi Minister of Education signed a "Memorandum of Understanding on Scientific and Educational Cooperation." The MoU increases consultations and collaboration on scholarships, teacher training, specialized and vocational training.
• Saudi Arabia pledged to build a specialist hospital along with a medical school in Kabul.
• Both sides agreed to expedite the establishment of the International Islamic University in Nangarhar. In this regard, both decided to establish a technical group in cooperation with OIC, IsDB, and SDF to provide specialized advice and assistance in financing, design, and management of the university.

RIYADH – Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar met with the Minister of Education of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Hamad bin Mohammad Al-Sheikh and discussed educational cooperation between the two countries during his visit to Saudi Arabia on Friday.

At the outset, Minister Atmar thanked the Saudi government for its assistance in various fields, especially in education and scholarships for Afghan students, and called for the expansion of cooperation in vocational training to Afghans in scientific and technical areas.

Welcoming the Foreign Minister, Dr. Hamad bin Mohammad Al-Sheikh said, "We want to be your partner in the transition to a new chapter in Afghanistan." The Saudi Minister of Education expressed readiness to increase the number of scholarships for undergraduate and graduate programs paving the way for professional and specialized education for Afghans. He noted that Suadi Arabia can help Afghanistan through teacher training and curriculum development using the latest models and experiences.

At the end of the meeting, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on academic and educational cooperation between the Ministries of Education of Afghanistan and the Ministry of Education of Saudi Arabia. This MoU will increase the mutual visits of education officials and student delegations of the two countries. It also increases the attention to Arabic language teaching for those interested in Afghanistan.

RIYADH – Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar met with Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Dr. Nayef Fallah M. Al-Hijraf to discuss the latest developments in the Arab world and the Afghan peace process, at the end of his three-day visit to Saudi Arabia, on Friday evening.

The Foreign Minister Congratulated Secretary General Al-Hijraf on the successful GCC summit that bridged differences between the member states of the Council and the Government of Qatar. He called it a crucial move in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the region, including Afghanistan.

Dr. Al-Hajraf called the Government of Afghanistan a GCC partner and stressed the need to strengthen the foundations of regional and international consensus in support of the Afghan peace process. He assured Minister Atmar of GCC’s strong support and cooperation in resolving the Afghan conflict through dialogue.

Both sides emphasized on strengthening friendly relations between GCC member states and Afghanistan and called for the expansion of political and economic relations and cooperation in the field of education and culture.

At the end of the meeting, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on bilateral cooperation. Under the MoU, Afghan Foreign Ministry and the GCC officials will hold regular consultative meetings on economic, political, security and cultural cooperation.

RIYADH – Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar met with Saudi Minister of Commerce Dr. Majid Bin Abdullah Al Qasabi and discussed Afghan-Saudi comprehensive framework for economic cooperation covering trade, investment, development, and labor deployment.

The two sides discussed transportation of Afghanistan's key exports to Saudi Arabia and called for joint work to remove major obstacles. In the area of investment and development, both sides touched on Afghanistan's comparative advantages including the abundance of minerals and ores, the abundance of land for cultivation and food security for the Arab world, and Afghanistan's accession to the supply, and value chain at the regional level.

In the end, both Ministers agreed to continue mutual visits to further pursue discussions and implementation of agreements in the fields of trade, investment, and development cooperation.

RIYADH – Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar met with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on the last day of his visit to Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, on Thursday.

Foreign Minister Atmar conveyed good wishes of H.E Mohammad Ashraf Ghani to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia and said that the President of Afghanistan has the vision to open a new chapter in political and economic cooperation with Saudi Arabia while appreciating the current comprehensive cooperation.

Foreign Minister Atmar spoke in detail about the peace process, and highlighted extremism and terrorism threatening peace and prosperity in Afghanistan, the region, and the Islamic world.

The Saudi Foreign Minister said that  "terrorism and extremism are common threat that requires joint action”.

Prince Faisal called attention to the role of the Islamic world’s scholars in ending bloodshed and finding a political solution to the Afghanistan conflict. The Saudi Foreign Minister said that his government is ready to take an active part in resolving differences between Afghans and strengthening the global consensus for lasting peace in Afghanistan.

The two sides held comprehensive talks on expanding bilateral cooperation in the political, security, economic, and development sectors. The Saudi Foreign Minister welcomed the agreements reached between the Afghan Foreign Minister and the officials of the various sectors of the Saudi government and declared his readiness to cooperate to achieve the decisions and goals agreed between the two countries.

Minister Atmar and his accompanying delegation attended a special banquet hosted by the Saudi Foreign Ministry and concluded by thanking the gracious hospitality of the Saudi officials.

RIYADH – Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Haneef Atmar met with the Minister of Transport and Chairman of the Saudi-Afghan Joint Cooperation Commission, Engineer Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, to discuss trade, investment, labor and development cooperation between the two countries.

Foreign Minister Atmar, while appreciating Saudi Arabia's generous assistance to Afghanistan in various fields, noted that Afghanistan is interested in Saudi-Afghan cooperation to be organized and managed within four strategic areas of (1) trade and transit, (2) investment, (3) facilitation and deployment of workers and (4) development assistance.

The Saudi Minister of Transport welcomed the concept and agreed to have it developed and discussed in the next joint meeting to be held in Kabul.

The two sides discussed in detail the implementation of the decisions of the first meeting of the Joint Commission and followed up on the actions needed to complete the pending actions.

The Saudi side also pledged to build a specialist hospital including a medical school in Afghanistan.

The Foreign Minister invited Engineer Al-Jasser to visit Kabul for the second meeting of the Joint Commission of Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia, which the Saudi side welcomed.

RIYADH – Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar met with the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League and a well-known and respected scholar of the Islamic world Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Wednesday evening.

At the outset, both sides discussed the current situation in Afghanistan, in particular the role of the religious scholars of the Islamic world in ending the bloodshed and securing peace in Afghanistan and the fight against extremism and terrorism.

Foreign Minister Atmar said that the war in Afghanistan has global dimensions with links to transnational and regional extremist and terrorist groups.  He stated that “extremists from various countries and organizations have turned Afghanistan into a war zone to pursue certain goals in which rescuing Afghanistan from the current war actually means rescuing the Islamic world and humanity from the growing threat of violent extremism and global terrorism”.

The Foreign Minister pointed to the horrific crimes in Afghanistan, which not only contradict the beliefs and teachings of Islam but any other religion.

Minister Atmar added, "Through the peace process, we want the Taliban to break away from other foreign extremist groups in the region and return to a peaceful and political life in their country". In this regard, he called for the cooperation of the Islamic world, especially the Muslim World League.

Sheikh Al-Issa said that crime and terrorism have no place in Islam and that criminal and terrorist acts should not be attributed to Islam. "We consider it our responsibility to end the war and ensure peace in Afghanistan," he said.

Sheikh Isa promised that in the near future, in accordance with his previous commitment, the Muslim World League will bring together influential thinkers, scholars, and muftis of the Islamic world in a great and historic conference and seek a fundamental solution to the Afghan crisis from a religious perspective.

Secretary-General of the Muslim World League said the outcome of the conference should be historic and decisive. He added that there will be a solution in this conference and the implementation of the decisions will be binding and therefore we will invite the Taliban to participate in this large conference to ensure broad participation.

JEDDAH – Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar met with the President of the Islamic Development Bank, Dr. Bandar M. H. Hajjar, in Jeddah.

Foreign Minister praised the Islamic Development Bank's assistance in launching various development projects in Afghanistan, including the construction of Doshi-Pul-e-Khumri and Andkhoy-Aqina roads, the construction of a girls' dormitory at the Kabul University, and the irrigation project in Pashtun Zarghun district of Herat.

The Minister highlighted that Afghanistan's water, agriculture, mineral resources, and strategic position could play a constructive role in energy transfer, food security, and transit of goods between the countries of South, Central, and West Asia and beyond, supporting the supply and value chain of the region.

Foreign Minister Atmar emphasized the expansion of links between Afghanistan and the Islamic Development Bank and called for deploying a technical team from the Islamic Development Bank to Afghanistan to identify investment opportunities and develop a clear vision for economic cooperation between this Bank and Afghanistan. Dr. Hajjar welcomed the Afghan Minister's proposal about sending a technical delegation.

The Minister sought the support of the Bank on financing the International Islamic University of Afghanistan. The President of Islamic Development Bank assured Mr. Atmar of the Bank's support, pending a feasibility study.

While assuring Minister Atmar of the Islamic Development Bank's commitment to helping Afghanistan, Dr. Hajjar highlighted that creating an enabling environment for investment is an essential factor in the economic growth and development of countries and that the Bank was ready to assist Afghanistan in this regard.

The Foreign Minister thanked the President of the Islamic Development Bank for assisting and financing development projects in Afghanistan.