The Gulf countries have been working on the unified tourist visa – similar to Schengen-style visa – for over one year
uae1 hour ago
Italy has completed its troop pull-out from Afghanistan, Rome announced on Wednesday, ending a 20-year deployment there as part of an accelerated withdrawal of NATO forces.
Members of the US-backed alliance agreed in April to wrap up their 9,600-strong mission in Afghanistan after US President Joe Biden made the call to end Washington’s longest war.
“Last night, the Italian mission in Afghanistan officially ended,” Defence Minister Lorenzo Guerini said in a statement, after dozens of soldiers landed at Pisa’s international airport from Herat.
“However, the international community’s commitment to Afghanistan, starting with Italy, does not end here. It will continue in other forms, from strengthening development cooperation to supporting Afghan republican institutions.”
According to the ministry, 50,000 Italian soldiers were deployed to Afghanistan over the past 20 years after the 9/11 attacks prompted US and NATO involvement in the country.
Over that period, 53 soldiers died and 723 were injured.
Italy was one of the five countries most involved in Afghanistan along with the United States, Turkey, Britain and Germany as part of “Resolute Support.”
This NATO-led non-combat mission aimed to train Afghan forces into ensuring their country’s security after the departure of foreign forces.
Germany announced Tuesday that all its troops had left Afghanistan as the largest pull-out, that of the United States, is ongoing.
The withdrawal has fuelled fears the Taleban could regain power in the country.
Rome has begun the process of bringing to Italy those Afghan citizens who helped Italian forces during the deployment. The army has identified 270 eligible people, while studying the cases of another 400.
Eighty-two Afghans, most of them interpreters and their families, arrived at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport on June 14.
The Gulf countries have been working on the unified tourist visa – similar to Schengen-style visa – for over one year
uae1 hour ago
Renowned French pastry chef Angelo Musa, who recently introduced two dining concepts in Dubai, shares tips on how to excel in pastry art
entertainment1 hour ago
Sheeraz was generous in giving realistic and practical insights on how fame can completely change the trajectory of one’s career and brand
kt network1 hour ago
The Dh100-billion plan introduced by the city's Crown Prince aims at increasing economic productivity
uae1 hour ago
It joins other Apple products that were already in the DMA net since September: iOS for iPhones, the App Store, and the Safari browser
tech1 hour ago
Al Mansoori played an important role in the development of the economic relations in non-oil sector between Japan and the UAE
kt network2 hours ago
Mental health continues to be under-resourced in affluent nations with advanced healthcare systems
kt network2 hours ago
The work undertaken covered several types of sidewalks for pedestrians, crosswalks, service roads, and combined use
uae2 hours ago