KABUL: The Afghan capital saw a visit from a Qatari diplomat on Sunday, who met with the interim foreign minister of the Taliban regime, as per an official statement from the Afghan foreign ministry.
The meet-up follows the Taliban’s imposition of constraints on female education and NGO activities, which Qatar deemed as “alarming” in the face of widespread global condemnation.
Mutlaq Bin Majed al-Qahtani, the Qatari foreign minister’s personal representative, engaged in discussions with acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul, according to Afghan foreign affairs representative Abdul Qahar Balkhi.
“The two sides talked about political collaboration, enhancing the relationship, and providing humanitarian aid,” said Balkhi.
While the Taliban government hasn’t received formal recognition from any foreign country, China and Pakistan sent their respective foreign ministers last year and the UN deputy special representative recently paid a visit to address women’s rights and aid.
Qatar served as the home base for the Taliban’s political office from 2012 until they overthrew the Western-backed government and gained power in 2021.