ISLAMABAD: In order to safeguard against the risk of any breakdown in long-sought peace talks that kickstarted last month in Qatar, Taliban and Afghan peace negotiators have set new ground rules as they negotiate to bring an end to decades of war.

A British wire service, while quoting sources, reported that the breakthrough was achieved with the help of US officials. The two sides drew up 19 ground rules that their negotiators should observe during talks.

While the talks have been taking place in Qatar’s capital Doha, scores of Afghan soldiers and Taliban fighters have been killed in clashes and suicide attacks in which dozens of civilians have also died in recent weeks.

“Firming up a code of conduct was extremely crucial as it proves that both sides are willing to continue talks even as we see that violence has not reduced on the ground,” said one senior Western diplomat on condition of anonymity.

After reports emerged that the parties had set the ground rules, the Afghan government negotiating team tweeted that the report was “incorrect”, without elaborating.

When asked about the tweet, a senior official involved in the talks on the government side said officials objected to any implication that a formal agreement had been reached, but did not deny some ground rules had been set.

Official sources involved in the peace process were quoted as saying that the breakthrough came during a trip on Monday by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to Qatar’s capital Doha. Ghani held talks there with Qatari leaders as well as US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and the commander of US and Nato troops in Afghanistan, General Austin Miller.

The intra-Afghan talks are part of a landmark deal signed between the United States and the Taliban in February.

Under the deal, foreign forces will leave Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for counter-terrorism guarantees from the Taliban, which agreed to negotiate a permanent cease-fire and a power-sharing formula with the Afghan government.

Diplomats were quoted as saying that the talks got off to a difficult start, with disagreements over how the Hanafi Islamic code could be used to guide negotiations and on whether the deal signed between the United States and the Taliban in February should be the basis for the talks, as demanded by the Taliban.

The sources were quoted as saying that the delegations were putting those differences to one side to move forward and agree on an agenda, but would work on resolving these issues during negotiations.

“The ground rules will serve as a foundation as both sides are making an effort to prevent a collapse,” said a second senior official in Doha overseeing the talks. A ceasefire is a top priority for the Afghan officials and the western diplomats who are facilitating these talks.

However, some analysts say the Taliban would not agree to a comprehensive ceasefire yet, since violence and clashes with Afghan forces give them leverage at the negotiation table.

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After reports emerged that the parties had agreed on the ground rules, the Afghan government negotiating team tweeted that the report was “incorrect”, without elaborating.

When asked about the tweet, a senior official involved in the talks on the government side said officials objected to any implication that a formal agreement had been reached, but did not deny some ground rules had been set.

Tweet 1: A British wire agency, while quoting sources said that the two sides drew up 19 ground rules that their negotiators should observe during talks

Tweet 2 : The intra-Afghan talks are part of a landmark deal signed between the United States and the Taliban in February

BAKU (DNA) -On 27 September 2020, the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia blatantly violating the norms of international law attacked the civil settlements and military positions of the Republic of Azerbaijan from several directions, resulting in deaths and injuries among civilians and servicemen. Consequently, the Army of the Republic of Azerbaijan launched a counter-offensive to prevent this aggression.

Armenia’s latest provocation accompanied by war crimes against Azerbaijani civilians mobilized all Azerbaijani society.Theseattacks forged national and political solidarity around the counter-measures taken by Azerbaijan within the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Efforts to liberate Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan currently occupied by the Republic of Armenia and ensure return of 100 thousands Azerbaijani IDPs to their native lands are unequivocally supported by Azerbaijani society as a whole, including all political forces in the country.

In this regard, 50 political parties in Azerbaijan issued a joint statement embodying national solidarity as well as unity between people and the Government.Regardless of their political views, these political parties endorsed and strongly supported the steps taken by the Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev with a view to the soonest liberation of Azerbaijani lands.

Representatives of various political parties made numerous speeches and appeals through the Azerbaijani mass media outlets during the military operations along the frontline.They expressed their strong support for the measures aimed at implementing the decisions taken by international organizations, especially UN Security Council Resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884 of 1993,demanding the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the armed forces of Armenia from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

The same stance was reiterated on 3October 2020 at a meeting entitled “National Solidarity – the result of political dialogue” with the participation of 50 political party leaders.Speaking at the event, all of them declared that political leadership of Armenia committed sabotage on the frontin order to divert the attention of its population from the socio-economic problems in the country aggravated by the pandemic.This is a continuation of recently intensified provocative actions by Armenia, including the organization of “inauguration ceremony”in Shusha for the puppet “leader” of the so-called illegal “regime”established in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the attack in the direction of Tovuz on 12-16 July, sabotage in the direction of Goranboy on 23 August, illegal settlement activities in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan etc. The unconstructive stance taken by the leadershipof Armenia in the negotiations on peaceful settlement of the 30 years-old Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and its latest irresponsible statements such as “Karabakh is Armenia, full stop!” are the main causes of disruption of the negotiation process.

The participants also expressed their unanimous support for all political and military measures taken by the Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev to protect the territorial integrity and security of citizens of Azerbaijan as well asto prevent large-scale terrorist provocations against the country.

Many members of various political parties joined military units within the partial military mobilization announced in Azerbaijan.

About this UN facility, the Minister noted that this “reference center”, the only one established in Africa by the UN, aims to train and “disseminate” practices in the fight against terrorism 

RABAT (DNA) – – Morocco is “unquestionably” positioned as a provider of regional stability and a reference in the field of peace in Africa, said, Tuesday in Rabat, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Nasser Bourita.

“Thanks to the Royal Vision, Morocco is unquestionably positioned as a provider of regional stability and a reference in the field of peace and stability at the level of the Continent,” Mr. Bourita told the press on the sidelines of the signing of a headquarters Agreement for the establishment in the Kingdom of the Program Office for Counter-Terrorism and Training in Africa of the UNOCT (United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism).

About this UN facility, the Minister noted that this “reference center”, the only one established in Africa by the UN, aims to train and “disseminate” practices in the fight against terrorism.

In this regard, the Minister said that the signing of this agreement and the upcoming opening of this structure in Morocco have much significance. It is, according to Mr. Bourita, a recognition of the comprehensive and multidimensional approach put in place by the Kingdom in the fight against terrorism, an approach that is distinguished by a “preventive dimension led with professionalism by Moroccan security forces”, an approach that concerns both the religious sphere as well as the social and economic fields.

“This approach has become known and recognized at the regional and international levels and the opening of this office by the United Nations in Morocco enshrines the recognition of this approach,” he stressed.

The second significance is related to Morocco’s African policy, he went on, noting that under this triangular approach, the Kingdom is a partner of international organizations but also African countries to develop training models, good practices at the continental level, in order to confront the scourge of terrorism.

This is an important significance, Mr. Bourita said, insofar as this signing comes at a time when Morocco and the UN note the resurgence of the terrorist threat at the level of the African continent as evidenced by the number of terrorist attacks (between 650 and 700 in 2012 against 4000 currently), the number of victims which has increased by more than 3 times in recent years, in addition to the proliferation of terrorist groups in all sub-regions of the continent.

The headquarters Agreement for the establishment in Morocco of UNOCT’s Programme Office for Counter-Terrorism and Training in Africa was signed, via videoconference, by Mr. Bourita and the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, Vladimir Voronkov.

This center reflects the ambition to combine efforts to meet the challenges posed by the growing terrorist threat in Africa in recent years.

RABAT (DNA) : The establishment in Morocco of a Program Office for Counter-Terrorism and Training in Africa of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) is a “natural step” in reinforcing the kingdom’s counter-terrorism capacity in Africa, said, Tuesday, UNOCT Under-Secretary-General, Vladimir Voronkov.

It is a “historic event” and a “logical” step forward, given Morocco’s “leadership” in the UN counter-terrorism efforts, the UN official said during the signing, via videoconference, of a Headquarters Agreement for the establishment in Morocco of the UNOCT Program Office.

The agreement was inked, on the Moroccan side, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans abroad, Mr. Nasser Bourita.

The UNOCT office, the first of its kind in Africa, will provide training in counter-terrorism, law enforcement, border security management, prevention of the presence of radicals, and human rights in the fight against terrorism, the UN official said.

According to Voronkov, this new center is a “very innovative” structure that will help neighboring countries and African States to upgrade their counter-terrorism activities, making them more efficient.

The office will be in charge of coordinating counter-terrorism activities in the region, Voronkov noted, highlighting the geographical importance of sub-Saharan Africa, which, he added, is also a “source of concern due to the very rapid spread of terrorism.”

To counter this development,”We need making an extra effort to be more effective, better coordinated and more results-oriented,” he concluded.