Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting Foreign Minister, is leading a senior delegation to Qatar, according to Zia Ahmad Takal, the deputy spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Takal stated that the delegation will engage in discussions with Qatari officials on a range of issues, although no further details were provided. The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry has yet to issue an official statement on the visit, and the specific purpose of the trip remains unclear.
Earlier, on 17 April, Muttaqi held a telephone conversation with Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. During the call, the two sides discussed expanding diplomatic relations and mentioned a possible visit by Muttaqi to Qatar “in the near future.”
At the time, the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry did not announce the exact date or objectives of the visit. However, the deputy spokesperson has now confirmed to Radio Hurriyat that Muttaqi is travelling to Qatar today.
Qatar is regarded as one of the Taliban’s principal allies. The Gulf nation hosted the Taliban’s political office in Doha prior to the collapse of the previous Afghan government and facilitated 18 months of negotiations between the Taliban and the United States.
