Diplomatic sources in Istanbul indicate that negotiators from Afghanistan and Pakistan have reached an agreement on the most significant issues, with the remaining points expected to be finalised before the conclusion of the talks late Monday.
Officials anticipate that the discussions may extend into the night as both sides work to secure a comprehensive understanding.
The negotiations were conducted after Afghanistan and Pakistan’s border security forces exchanged heavy fire on 12 October along the border between the two countries.
Afghan security forces launched those attacks in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan, conducted two days earlier.
On 15 October, further fighting occurred along the Spin Boldak district and Paktika province, bordering Pakistan, including airstrikes by Pakistani forces inside Afghan territory.
A 48-hour ceasefire was announced on the evening of 15th October, in an attempt to halt further escalation of clashes.
Despite the ceasefire, further fighting was reported in some places along the border region, causing many civilian casualties.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported that 37 civilians were killed and more than 425 were injured because of the cross-border fighting.
In Doha, through the mediation of Qatar and Türkiye, Afghanistan and Pakistan’s defence ministers agreed on 19 October to extend the ceasefire and establish a mechanism to consolidate lasting peace and stability.
The current talks in Istanbul are a follow-up to the Doha agreement, where both countries are expected to reach a comprehensive agreement to ensure lasting peace in the region.
Sources within Afghanistan’s foreign ministry told AnewZ that “negotiations are going well, and they hope to reach an agreement by the end of the day.”
Both sides are expected to issue a joint statement following the meeting’s conclusion.
The agreement is likely to address several key matters, including the extension of the current ceasefire, the reopening of closed border crossings, and confirmation of the timing and venue for the next round of dialogue.
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Global oil prices continue to rise, currently surpassing $119 a barrel this Monday, an almost four year high following fresh U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting oil depots. Stock markets shares slumped on fears the conflict with Iran could disrupt shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Iranian civilian and military officials have pledged their obedience to the new leader, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying his leadership “will herald a new era of dignity and authority for the Iranian nation.”.
Almost 2,000 people have been evacuated from Iran via Azerbaijan since conflict erupted in the Middle East.
Trump says the United States "don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won," targeting his criticism at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Israel continues to fire missles at strategic sites in Iran and Gulf regions report more strikes from Iran.
Global oil prices continue to rise, currently surpassing $119 a barrel this Monday, an almost four year high following fresh U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting oil depots. Stock markets shares slumped on fears the conflict with Iran could disrupt shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a hardline cleric with strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise signals continuity in Tehran's anti-Western policies.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
Entry and exit across the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran for all types of cargo vehicles, including those in transit, will resume on 9 March, according to a statement by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
U.S. President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke by phone on Sunday as tensions between Washington and Westminster deepened over the conflict involving Iran. The call came less than a day after Trump criticised Britain’s response to U.S. strikes on Iranian targets.
Norwegian police are searching for a suspect after an explosion at the U.S. embassy in Oslo on 8 March caused minor damage but no injuries, in what authorities say may have been a deliberate attack linked to the Middle East crisis.
An explosion damaged a synagogue in the Belgian city of Liège early on Monday (9 March) in what authorities said was an antisemitic attack that caused damage but no injuries.
The Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers will meet on Monday to discuss a global rise in oil prices and a joint release of oil from emergency reserves coordinated by the International Energy Agency, the Financial Times reports.
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