Qatar Urges Continued International Support for Doha Process on Afghanistan

Qatar’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al-Khulaifi, pointing to the difficult situation of the Afghan people, called for countries to continue supporting the Doha process and to keep Afghanistan high on the international agenda.

Speaking on Tuesday, 31 September, at a contact group meeting on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, he said members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation should continue their efforts on Afghanistan with greater coordination and genuine dialogue. According to him, these countries have a responsibility to maintain their support in the face of the ongoing problems of the Afghan people.

At the meeting, Al-Khulaifi also stressed the need to intensify diplomatic efforts to strengthen relations and expand cooperation on Afghanistan. He said that while the people of Afghanistan are going through very difficult days, coordination among OIC members is of particular importance.

The Qatari deputy foreign minister also called for the international community to engage constructively with the Taliban administration. At the same time, he referred to several Qatari projects in Afghanistan that, he said, have been launched to support the education and employment of women, girls and young people.

The Qatari official also recalled his country’s role in the Doha process and its hosting of meetings of the counter-narcotics and private sector working groups in 2023 and 2024. He further announced Qatar’s readiness to host the fourth meeting of special envoys and said Doha is prepared to work with other countries to follow up on progress and address humanitarian needs in Afghanistan.

The contact group meeting was held with the participation of representatives from a number of Islamic countries, including Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh and Malaysia. Qatar has not yet recognised the Taliban administration, but over the past five years it has maintained close ties with it; the country’s embassy in Kabul is operational, and Afghanistan’s embassy in Doha is also under Taliban control.