Taliban Representative Invited To UN-Led Doha Conference On Afghanistan

Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN, has confirmed the participation of special representatives from various countries involved in Afghan affairs.

Announced at a press briefing on Wednesday, the conference aims to synchronise the approaches of different nations towards Afghanistan and to deliberate on independent assessments of the situation in the country.

This upcoming meeting follows the first UN-led conference in Doha last May, which saw attendance from representatives of the USA, EU, Russia, and Afghanistan's neighbouring countries. Notably absent from the previous summit were representatives from the Taliban and opposition political forces.

Following the earlier conference, Guterres announced efforts to cultivate a consistent stance on Afghanistan among all participants. However, discrepancies among representatives from different countries were reported, as highlighted by Zamir Kabulov, Russia's Presidential Representative for Afghanistan.

In preparation for this meeting, international human rights organisations have urged the UN to include Afghan women in their discussions on Afghanistan.

Complementing these diplomatic efforts, a regional meeting is slated to occur in Kabul prior to the Doha conference. According to Rasoul Mousavi, Director-General for South Asia at Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kabul is set to host a regional meeting next week with representatives from Iran, Pakistan, Russia, and China.

Ebrahim Raisi and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, presidents of Iran and Turkiye, called for providing security to the people of Afghanistan "without any ethnic and sectarian discrimination".

On Thursday, the website of the president of Iran published the joint statement.

Raisi went to Turkiye on Wednesday and met his Turkish counterpart Erdogan.

In the statement, it has been stated that both countries assessed the practical and constructive interaction with the current officials of Afghanistan as important.

Despite their relations with the Taliban, Turkiye and Iran do not recognise the group’s government.

Both sides also emphasised on the necessity of fighting against all terrorist groups, drug production and trafficking, human trafficking, and illegal trafficking as well as providing the possibility of safe, voluntary and honourable return of all illegal Afghan immigrants to their country.

The Gaza crisis, the joint fight against all forms and manifestations of terrorism, the fight against smuggling of goods, weapons, drugs, and the fight against organised crime along the common borders, economic and commercial cooperation, and strengthening cooperation in the field of road and rail transit were among other issues raised in this meeting.

Erdogan and Raisi also discussed the increase of "Islamophobia", the Astana process to maintain peace in Syria, respect for the territorial integrity of the countries of the Caucasus region, and other global and regional issues.

The Presidents of the two countries held a two-hour meeting on Wednesday and following the meeting, they attended a joint press conference.

During the press conference, Raisi expressed that the Iranian government views any form of insecurity in the region's countries as a threat to the entire region.

Referring to the war between Israel and Hamas, the Iranian president said that international organisations and the United Nations have lost their effectiveness and cannot prevent the disaster in Gaza.

He mentioned that during his discussion with the Turkish president, both sides emphasised on continuing support for Palestine.

Erdogan also conveyed that he had discussions with Raisi, emphasising on the imperative to halt Israel's attacks on Gaza and urging for prompt measures for the establishment of a fair and enduring peace.

Lavrov also called on the anti-Taliban fronts to strengthen the "peaceful" approach.

In a press conference at the UN headquarters, addressing a question from Maryam Rahmati, a reporter for Afghanistan International, the Russian Foreign Minister stated that the Taliban government is predominantly composed of "all Taliban," lacking representation from other ethnic and religious groups like Hazaras, Tajiks, and Uzbeks.

He clarified that it is not only an issue of ethnic inclusion, but also political and religious inclusion should be considered.

The Russian Foreign Minister further noted that the current stance of the anti-Taliban resistance fronts, particularly active in northern Afghanistan, suggests a reluctance to engage in dialogue with the group. However, he emphasised on the need for concerted efforts in this regard. Lavrov urged individuals with influence over the anti-Taliban forces to encourage them to participate in "peaceful" dialogue.

Lavrov once again mentioned Hamid Karzai, the former president, and Abdullah Abdullah, the former chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation and said that they are present in Kabul and want to help return the country to the original path.

In a press conference a week ago, the Russian Foreign Minister recognised the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, led by Ahmad Massoud, active in the country's northern areas. Lavrov stressed the need for dialogue between this front and the Taliban, advocating for a bridging of differences.

Lavrov mentioned Karzai and Abdullah and said that he advises the Taliban to invite other political forces to the ruling structure.

Mousavi announced that representatives from Iran, Pakistan, Russia, and China are set to participate in the upcoming meeting.

Subsequently, the Doha meeting is scheduled to take place on February 17.

This Iranian official posted on X social media network that this meeting "shows the special attention of Afghanistan's neighbours to the peace, stability, and well-being of the Afghan people and security in the region".

Earlier, Zamir Kabulov, Russia's special representative for Afghanistan, also said that the country's meeting regarding Afghanistan with the participation of China, Iran, and Pakistan will be held at the end of January.

On Monday, the Russian news agency TASS quoted Kabulov as stating that the agenda for this meeting will include interactions with the current Afghan authorities, with the objective of establishing an inclusive government and addressing issues such as counterterrorism and anti-drug efforts.

Earlier, he had announced the holding of a meeting under the supervision of the United Nations regarding Afghanistan. Also, Kabulov had said that the Moscow format meeting regarding Afghanistan will continue in 2024.

The Taliban's Foreign Ministry said that economic relations between Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan were discussed in this meeting.

In a statement released by the Taliban's Foreign Ministry, Muttaqi expressed appreciation for Kyrgyzstan's policy towards Afghanistan and conveyed their desire to enhance trade relations between the two nations.

Muttaqi said that there is a capacity to increase export and import between Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan.

According to the Taliban's statement, Amangeldiev said that he got a group of individuals from his country to engage in business negotiations with Afghanistan's private sector.

This delegation had been invited by the Taliban’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and the members also met the Taliban’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, separately.

Kyrgyzstan, like other nations, has not officially recognised the Taliban, and still, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubayev had urged Central Asian countries to enhance cooperation and coordination regarding Afghanistan.