FM reiterates Qatar's supportive stance to achieve peace, stability in Afghanistan

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani participated on Thursday in the third Foreign Ministers' Meeting Among the Neighbouring Countries of Afghanistan, held in China. In a speech before during the meeting, HE Sheikh Mohamed reiterated Qatar's firm and supportive position towards the Afghan people and their right to live with dignity and achieve their aspirations, stressing the continuation of Qatar's endeavors through the good relations with all Afghan components, in order to support and facilitate efforts to reach a comprehensive political consensus that achieves security and stability in Afghanistan and the region.He noted that Qatar's good efforts to mediate between the US and the Taliban ended with the two parties signing the Doha Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan in February 2020, adding that these efforts continued to bring the parties to the Afghan conflict closer, until the previous government left Afghan territory in August last year. HE the Foreign Minister said that Qatar contributed on humanitarian front by establishing the largest airlift in history, which helped in evacuating more than 75,000 people of different nationalities from Afghanistan, and securing their transit through Doha to their last stations, noting that Qatar continues to deliver humanitarian and medical aid to the Afghan people through its various governmental and civil institutions, besides friendly countries, international partners, and relevant international organisations.He said that since the first day, Qatar called for humanitarian aid not to be politicised, out of its belief that this aid is a temporary solution, affirming the importance of moving to development work, promoting stability and economic recovery, and addressing the liquidity crisis that Afghanistan suffers from. He also affirmed the necessity and importance of the Afghan caretaker government to continue the fight against terrorism, in particular ISIS-Khorasan, as well as the promotion of human rights, especially the right of women to work, and the right of Afghan girls to education. The challenges facing the Afghan caretaker government can only be overcome with the co-operation of all. He underlined, praising in this regard the important role played by many countries to achieve stability in Afghanistan, especially the Afghan neighbouring countries. He also expressed Qatar's aspiration to work with everyone to achieve stability and sustainable development in Afghanistan.HE the Foreign Minister explained that Qatar gives the regional and international peace and security a special priority, as its principles and goals are based on the Charter of the United Nations, and the rules of international legitimacy that call for co-operation and mutual respect, non-interference in the internal affairs of states, and the adoption of peaceful means and good endeavours to solve disputes.HE Sheikh Mohamed expressed Qatar's thanks to the People's Republic of China for all its endeavours and efforts to organise the meeting at this critical time, and under these exceptional circumstances that the region and the world are going through. He also expressed his thanks to State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi for inviting him to this meeting.Addressing participants in the meeting, he expressed hope to achieve the desired co-operation to support the stability of Afghanistan and the region, and to achieve the brotherly Afghan people's dream, in order to bring Afghanistan out of the tragedy into a space of hope.The participating countries in the meeting are Qatar, Iran, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. The meeting will discuss the assessment of the co-ordination and co-operation mechanism among neighbours of Afghanistan, which was launched at the first ministerial meeting, by shedding the light on further strengthening of co-operation on issues related to Afghanistan, encouraging it to adhere to a broad and inclusive political orientation, implementing moderate and stable domestic and foreign policies, seriously protecting the rights and interests of ethnic minorities and women and children, resolutely combating terrorism and developing friendship and co-operation on the basis of good neighbourliness.