Ottawa- January 27, 2020
During a high-level ceremony attended by H.E. Second Vice President Sarwar Danesh, H.E. Acting Foreign Minister M.Haroon Chakhansuri, representatives from media and heads of diplomatic missions in Kabul, Afghanistan officially joined the Media Freedom Coalition.
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Ottawa- January 24, 2020
Today is the International Day of Education. As the key to human well-being, sustainable development and women’s empowerment, education remains a top priority under the Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework (ANPDF) and the Afghanistan Sustainable Development Goals (ASDGs). Thanks to the efforts made by the government of Afghanistan, public support and continued international assistance including by Canada, education is one of the most promising sectors in Afghanistan. Today, around 9 million children attend school and close to 40 percent of them are girls. The government of Afghanistan is committed to improving the coverage and quality of education in the country.
Photo by UNICEF
Ottawa- January 14, 2020
H.E. President Ashraf Ghani and H.E. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held a phone conversation this morning Ottawa time. Expressing their sympathy and condolences to the families of victims of the recent plane crash in Iran including those affected from Afghanistan and Canada, the two sides discussed this tragic incident and stressed the importance of full investigation into the crash and the need for the provision of all the required information and assistance to the victims’ families. They further emphasized the need for coordinated efforts under the International Coordination and Response Group for families of victims of Flight PS752.
Ottawa- January 17, 2020
Ambassador Hassan Soroosh met with Mr. Toby Lanzer, the UN Secretary General's Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan at the Afghan Embassy in Ottawa.
They discussed the ongoing efforts under the peace process as well as the development and humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan including by Canada.
Mr. Lanzer is visiting Ottawa for a number of engagements on Afghanistan.
Mr. Sayed Mujtaba Ahmadi, Deputy Chief of Mission and Mr. Azim Wardak, Counselor of the Embassy were also present in the meeting.
LONDON, January 16, 2020
Canada, Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan and the UK – members of the International Coordination and Response Group for [families of] the victims of Flight PS752 -held an in-person meeting at Canada House in London, UK, today and agreed upon a framework for cooperation with Iran in response to this tragedy to provide closure. accountability, transparency and justice for the families and loved ones of all the victims.
The framework is centered on five key elements that will guide our engagement with the Iranian authorities to ensure:
- Full and unhindered access for our officials to and within Iran to provide consular services.
- That the victim identification process is conducted with dignity, transparency and according to international standards and that the wishes of the families regarding repatriation are respected in all cases.
- A thorough, independent and transparent international investigation open to grieving nations governed by the Convention of International Civil Aviation
- The Government of Iran assumes full responsibility for this tragedy and recognizes its duties towards the families of the victims – including compensation.
- Accountability for those responsible though an independent criminal investigation followed by transparent and impartial judicial proceedings which conform to international standards of due process and human rights.
We welcome the Government of Iran’s engagement to date and encourage their continued cooperation.
Ottawa- January 14, 2020
Ambassador Hassan Soroosh met with Ms. Meredith Preston McGhie, the new Secretary General of the Global Center for Pluralism at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Ottawa. The two sides discussed the ongoing activities and projects under the Center. They further discussed the potential for future cooperation with both governmental and non-governmental organizations in Afghanistan in areas of focus under the Center including research and analysis; education; global pluralism award; and global pluralism index.
Mr. Sayed Mujtaba Ahmadi, Deputy Chief of Mission, and Ms. Shabana Kargar, Head of the Cultural and Social Affairs Section of the Embassy were also present in the meeting.
Ottawa- January 10, 2020
The Embassy of Afghanistan in Ottawa hosted a dinner program for a group of Afghan-Canadian experts, scholars, and activists based in Ottawa. During the program, the participants discussed cultural and academic exchanges as well as development cooperation, trade and investment between Afghanistan and Canada. They stressed the importance of networking events and joint activities in the future.
Ottawa- January 10, 2020
Ambassador Hassan Soroosh met with Ms. Gwyn Kutz, Director General for Peace and Stabilization Operations Program at the Global Affairs Canada. The two sides discussed the peace process and security sector support in Afghanistan as well as future cooperation both bilaterally and under the global platforms. Among other issues, they emphasized the importance of women’s participation in peacebuilding efforts.
Ambassador Soroosh expressed his gratitude for Canada’s active engagement in Afghanistan including in support of the security sector institutions in the country.
Mr. Sayed Mujtaba Ahmadi, Deputy Chief of Mission; Mr. Michael Callan, Director of Conflict Prevention, Stabilization and Peacebuilding Division; and other members of the International Security Branch were also present in the meeting.
Ottawa- January 9, 2020
Ambassador Hassan Soroosh visited the International Development Research Center (IDRC) this afternoon and met with Mr. Jean Lebel, President, and Ms. Dominique Charron, Vice-President of the Center.
The two sides discussed various areas of research collaboration in the past as well as potential research partnership in the future in areas such as SDGs, environment, education, women’s empowerment, and regional cooperation.
Ambassador Soroosh expressed his gratefulness for the support provided by the IDRC to research capacity building and evidence-based policy development in Afghanistan including under the broader research and academic programs for Central Asia and South Asia.
Mr. Azim Wardak, Counselor of the Afghan Embassy was also present in the meeting.
The Afghan students of primary schools who participated at 24th UCMAS International Mathematics Competition in Cambodia (December 7-8, 2019) won 7 awards.
The UCMAS Competitions are one of its kind events with children attempting 100-200 math problems in just 8 minutes.
We express our heartfelt congratulations to the group and wish them further success in the future.
