Diplomats: U.S. urges UN vote on Taliban dealMarch 10, 2020 - 12:43 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The United States has called for a Tuesday, March 10 vote at the UN Security Council to endorse Washington's deal with the Taliban that is supposed to pave the way to peace in Afghanistan, diplomats said, according to Al Jazeera. The U.S. military has begun withdrawing troops as part of the pullout agreed in the February 29 agreement with the Taliban. The request for a UN vote came after negotiations on a draft resolution, diplomats said on Monday. The deal signed in Qatar is aimed at ending the U.S.'s longest war, fought in Afghanistan since 2001. The agreement seeks the withdrawal of all U.S. and NATO troops from Afghanistan in 14 months. It also secured a Taliban guarantee that Afghanistan would not be used as a launching pad for activities that would threaten the security of the U.S. in the future. Intra-Afghan negotiations are also set to begin by Tuesday to work out a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire. About 14,000 U.S. troops and approximately 17,000 troops from 39 NATO allies and partner countries are stationed in Afghanistan in a non-combatant role. The U.S.-Taliban talks were launched in 2018 as part of a push by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to strike a deal with the armed group, which has been fighting the U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan since being toppled from power in 2001. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |