Doha Was Instrumental In Ending Afghan War, Says Qatari FM

Qatar’s Foreign Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said on Sunday that his country played a central role in bringing an end to two decades of conflict in Afghanistan.

He noted that Doha facilitated talks between the Taliban, the United States, and the former Afghan government.

Speaking on the second day of the Doha Forum in the Qatari capital, Al Thani said Qatar’s mediation efforts have demonstrated that engaging all parties to a conflict is essential for progress in any peace process. He said this approach had been applied in Afghanistan and had delivered results.

Qatar hosted the negotiations between the United States and the Taliban that led to the February 2020 Doha Agreement. Many former Afghan officials and analysts say the accord weakened the then-government in Kabul and hastened the Taliban’s return to power.

Al Thani stressed that Qatar’s foreign policy is grounded in diplomacy and cooperation, adding that Doha continues to rely on these tools to help resolve global crises. He said regional disputes frequently arise both between states and within political factions, which is why Qatar maintains channels of communication with all sides in pursuit of mutually acceptable solutions.

He also said that each conflict has its own dynamics and cautioned against comparing Qatar’s mediation between the United States and Afghanistan with its role in efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. He noted that, in the latter case, the principal challenge was that Washington initially engaged only with Israel. According to him, meaningful progress emerged only once the United States began speaking to both sides.

The Doha Forum is one of Qatar’s major annual gatherings, drawing government officials, diplomats, researchers, and representatives of international organisations from around the world.