Putting too many conditions can hinder engagement with the movement now in control of Afghanistan, says Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani.
Isolating the Taliban could lead to further
instability in Afghanistan, warned Qatar’s foreign minister on Tuesday, as he urged countries to engage with the group to address security and socioeconomic concerns.
Doha has emerged as a key
interlocutor to the Taliban, having hosted the group’s political
office since 2013.
“If we are starting to put conditions and stopping this
engagement, we are going to leave a vacuum, and the question is,
who is going to fill this vacuum?,” Sheikh Mohammed said in
Doha, alongside his German counterpart, Heiko Maas.
READ MORE: Biden accuses Afghan military and Trump for the messy Afghanistan exit
No country has recognised the Taliban as the government of
Afghanistan after their capture of Kabul on August 14.
Many
western states have urged the group to form an inclusive
government that includes various ethnicities and to respect human rights.
“We believe that without engagement we cannot reach…real
progress on the security front or on the socioeconomic front,”
Sheikh Mohammed said, adding that recognising the Taliban as the
government was not a priority.
Germany’s Maas told reporters Berlin was
willing to help Afghanistan but that international assistance
comes with certain prerequisites.
“I personally believe there is absolutely no way around having talks with the Taliban… because we absolutely cannot afford to have instability in Afghanistan,” he said.
“That would aid terrorism and have a huge negative impact on neighbouring countries.
“We are not looking at questions of formal recognition, but we want to solve the existing problems – regarding the people in Afghanistan, the German citizens, but also the local staff who want to leave the country.”
READ MORE: ‘My kids split in half’: Afghans seek answer after US strike kill civilians
The Taliban, which have held talks with members of the
previous Afghan government and others in civil society, have
said they would soon announce a full cabinet.
Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed said the group had showed openness
towards the idea of an inclusive government.
The Taliban have sought to alleviate concerns by committing
to respecting individual rights and affirming that women will be
able to study and work under their rule.
Sheikh Mohammed said isolating the Taliban during their last
rule 20 years ago led to the current situation.
READ MORE: As Taliban celebrates victory, Afghans remain on edge
Since the Taliban took Kabul, there has been “tremendous
engagement” on evacuations and counterterrorism, which delivered “positive results,” he said.
Sheikh Mohammed also added that talks on Qatar
providing assistance to the running of Kabul’s airport were
ongoing and no decision had been made.
Source: TRTWorld and agencies
0 Comments