The third meeting on Afghanistan will take place in Doha at the end of June

The UN announced that the third meeting on Afghanistan with the participation of special representatives from various countries will take place in Doha. According to the Organization, the meeting is scheduled for June 30 and July 1.

The goal of the meeting is to “increase international engagement with Afghanistan in a consistent and structured manner.” As reported by Afghanistan International, a delegation from Afghanistan led by the Taliban’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has been invited to this meeting. She invited him to the meeting in Doha, where she met with Taliban representatives in Kabul from May 18 to 21.

The Afghan side emphasized in meetings with the Deputy Secretary-General that “any strategy for international engagement with Afghanistan must take into account the humanitarian, developmental, and economic issues facing Afghanistan.”

Meanwhile, according to the agency, a senior Taliban representative, Mohammad Abdul Kabir, stated that the participation of the Afghan delegation in the third meeting in Doha depends on “the recognition of the Taliban’s status.” The previous meeting of countries on Afghanistan also took place in Doha in February of this year. As reported by Hasht e Subh Daily, the Taliban refused to participate in it.

At that time, the Taliban stated two conditions for their participation in the Qatari meeting:

– the Taliban delegation must be the sole representative of Afghanistan at the forum;

– UN Secretary-General António Guterres must engage in direct negotiations with the movement.

Since the organizers did not agree, the Taliban decided to boycott the conference.

The Taliban also opposed the appointment of a UN special representative for Afghanistan, which was the focus of the second day of the conference in Doha. The meeting itself took place behind closed doors. It involved representatives from nearly 20 countries, including Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Russia, the USA, EU countries, and others. Representatives of civil society and women from Afghanistan were also invited to participate in the conference.

Prior to this, a meeting on Afghanistan under the auspices of the UN took place on May 1, 2023. Later, it prepared a report and recommendations that were discussed at the February meeting.