The third Doha meeting on Afghanistan is set to take place from June 30 to July 1, hosted by the United Nations. The meeting aims to gather representatives from major regional and international stakeholders to find a way forward in relations with Afghanistan
Kabul 24: The Taliban have agreed to attend the meeting for the first time. The Islamic Emirate’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Zabihullah Mujahid, the group’s spokesperson, will lead the Taliban delegation. Representatives from the Ministries of Interior, Industry and Commerce, Foreign Affairs, the Central Bank of Afghanistan, and the head of the Islamic Emirate’s Qatar-based Political Office will also participate.
Agenda and Expectations
The official agenda is expected to cover a wide range of issues, including counter-narcotics measures, climate change, banking and financial flows, and the role of the private sector. However, the meeting will not address concerns about Afghan civil society and women human rights defenders.
Zamir Kabulov, the Russian special representative for Afghanistan, stated that the third Doha meeting will be successful if it facilitates cooperation between the international community and the Taliban. China’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, hopes the meeting will not be as unsuccessful as the previous Doha meetings.
International Participation
The United States will be participating in the conference, with the State Department emphasizing that the interim government must take its commitments under the Doha Agreement seriously, especially regarding the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.
Rina Amiri, United States Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls and Human Rights, stated that the cycle of conflict in Afghanistan will not stop until the issue of women and girls is included in the agenda.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, also announced that Pakistan will attend the conference and discuss comprehensive issues, including health.
The United Nations has emphasized that the third Doha meeting and the UN officials’ meeting with the interim government do not mean their recognition, and the Doha meeting is a process to compel the interim government to fulfill its commitments
