report in The Khaama Press online, Feb 11, 2023
During his visit to Washington, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Foreign Minister of Qatar met with the U.S. Secretary of States Antony Blinken and discussed Afghanistan.
The Foreign Ministry of Qatar on Saturday in a statement said that the country’s Foreign Minister met with his American counterpart in Washington, and discussed a range of subject matters including strengthening relations between the two countries, development in Afghanistan and Palestine, and nuclear deal negotiations.
Further details about this meeting have not been shared so far as Qatar is allegedly accused of bribing former government officials of Afghanistan not to fight against the Islamic Emirate fighters.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s only political office is in Qatar through which the interim government maintains its communications with the world governments, including the Western states.
The state of Qatar is one of the allies of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which played a decisive role in the peace talks between the former government of Afghanistan, the Taliban group, and the United States of America.
Qatar has had long-lasting relations with the Taliban movement. The Gulf state was one of the few countries that officially recognized the Taliban regime from 1996-2001, and possibly provided them financial support to run their government.
With the withdrawal of the U.S. and international forces from Afghanistan in August 2021 and the Taliban’s return to power, Qatar still plays a significantly important role in matters of Afghanistan. Several western countries including the U.S. and some of its allies shifted their embassies from Kabul to Qatar after the Taliban seized Kabul.
It is even believed that the tiny Gulf State mediates between the Islamic Emirate authorities and the Western leaders on major issues in Afghanistan.
https://www.khaama.com/us-qatar-fms-discuss-afghanistan-qatar-foreign-ministry/
