Taliban Representative Invited To UN-Led Doha Conference On Afghanistan

Mullah Abdul Kabir, the Taliban's Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, has announced that their representative has been invited to the forthcoming Doha meeting on Afghanistan.

The second United Nations conference, involving special representatives from various countries, is scheduled to be held in Qatar starting from February 18 to February 19.

The Taliban’s Prime Minister's office stated on Thursday that Mullah Abdul Kabir met Paul Klouman Bekken, Chargé d'Affaires at the Norwegian Embassy in Afghanistan. The Norwegian diplomat confirmed that the Doha meeting about Afghanistan is planned for February 18, and the Taliban's representative is expected to attend it.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, in a press briefing on Wednesday, had said that the aim of the Doha meeting is to align different nations' approaches towards Afghanistan and discuss independent assessments of the country.

The first UN meeting in Doha, hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, took place on May 1. Representatives from the USA, European Union, Russia, and Afghanistan's neighbours attended the meeting, but the Taliban and opposition forces had not been invited.

During his meeting, Mullah Abdul Kabir expressed the Taliban's wish for reciprocal respect from the US, Europe, and neighbouring countries. The Taliban's statement noted that the Norwegian Chargé d'Affaires emphasised on the importance of education for girls and women and the creation of job opportunities for them.

The Taliban's Deputy Prime Minister remarked that they are not against the education of women and girls. He noted that a special committee has been established on the Taliban leader's orders to promote education for women and girls.

Kabir encouraged Norway and other European countries to reopen their embassies in Kabul. He also stated that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has no place in Afghanistan and that ISIS has been subdued.

According to the Taliban's statement, Norway has dedicated 93 million dollars for managing natural disasters in Afghanistan and seven million dollars for aiding migrants returning from Iran and Pakistan.