Latest news with #DohaProcess
Qatar Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar stresses commitment to concerted international efforts to empower Afghan people to build peaceful state
NEW YORK: The State of Qatar has reaffirmed its commitment to concerted international efforts to ensure empowering the Afghan people to build a state characterized by peace, stability, and development. This came in the State of Qatar's statement at the United Nations General Assembly's plenary meeting in New York on agenda item 'The Situation in Afghanistan', delivered by Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations HE Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani. She stressed that the State of Qatar's efforts to support Afghanistan in facing the significant challenges along its path to achieving peace and stability continue, noting that these efforts began with the establishment of the Doha peace process for Afghanistan, in addition to hosting a series of dialogues as part of an inclusive political process involving all segments of Afghan society, culminating in the 2020 peace agreement between the United States and the Taliban. She also highlighted the State of Qatar's role in supporting and facilitating dialogue between the United Nations, concerned countries, and the Afghan caretaker government, including hosting the UN-led Doha Process, noting that these efforts aim to adopt a comprehensive approach to facilitate more coherent and organized international engagement, helping to create the conditions necessary for Afghanistan to achieve internal peace, foster good neighborly relations, reintegrate into the international community, and meet its global obligations. She noted that, to achieve these goals on the ground, the Doha Process has led to the formation of specialized working groups based on priority areas identified in the independent assessment of Afghanistan. She referred to the third meeting of the counter-narcotics working group held in Doha recently, which aimed to review and enhance cooperation to combat drugs and their regional and global impacts as well as the second meeting of the private sector working group, held on July 1, which aimed to support this vital sector's engagement in the economy. She pointed to the continuing multifaceted challenges, which require international support and an integrated approach involving relevant political, humanitarian, and development actors in order to build and sustain peace, adding that this includes strengthening international assistance in line with humanitarian principles, addressing natural disasters such as droughts and floods, creating opportunities for economic recovery and sustainable development, and improving access to education for all. She also underscored the State of Qatar's efforts, in cooperation with UN entities, in providing humanitarian support to the Afghan people, including food assistance, support for basic healthcare programs, improving Afghan children's access to education, offering scholarships, supporting economic empowerment programs for Afghan women to increase their resilience to crises, and programs to empower Afghan youth-both male and female.
The Diplomat
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Diplomat
Taliban: Russia's ‘Objective Allies' in its Fight Against the Islamic State
On the sidelines of the third round of the U.N.-convened Doha Working Group (commonly known as Doha Process) meetings held in the Qatari capital on June 30 and July 1, Russia's Special Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said that Russia should arm the Taliban against the Islamic State. In this context, he further said that 'in this particular case, they are our objective allies, whom we must support to arm them in every sense of the word, so that they successfully suppress all these smallest hotbeds of international terrorism.' He said that Russia must support the Taliban with weapons in order to help them eliminate the terrorist threat in Afghanistan. Emphasizing the Taliban's role against the Islamic State, he said, 'The Taliban is fighting the Islamic State uncompromisingly and harshly.' Kabulov's remarks demonstrate the shift in Russia's policy toward the Taliban. This policy shift was further affirmed on July 3 when Russia became the first country to recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan. Moscow has accepted the credentials of a new ambassador of Afghanistan as part of a strategic shift in its Taliban policy to build friendly relations with Afghanistan's Taliban regime, which has been the de facto ruler of the country since the withdrawal of U.S. forces in August 2021. Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that 'We believe that the act of official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries in various fields.' Such a bold move from Moscow has not come suddenly. Over the past few months, Russia has been gradually moving toward this end. In December 2024, Russia adopted a law to establish the possibility of delisting any organization from the list of terrorist organizations. In March, Russia's Prosecutor General submitted a petition to the Supreme Court to remove the Taliban from the terrorist designated list. That request was approved in mid-April. Russia's paradigm shift toward the Taliban must be seen from the security perspective, mainly vis-à-vis the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) — an affiliate of the Islamic State, which is active in South and Central Asia, primarily in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and to a certain extent in Pakistan. In March 2024, the Crocus City Hall music venue near Moscow was attacked by four armed terrorists, resulting in over 150 fatalities and more than 100 injuries. The incident marked the deadliest terrorist attack in Russia in the past two decades. Russian President Vladimir Putin called it 'a barbaric terrorist act.' While the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, ISKP proclaimed it also without directly claiming responsibility. ISKP is widely believed to have orchestrated the attack, allegedly carried out by citizens of Tajikistan. Russia is a significant target for the Islamic State, and its affiliates, for several reasons, primarily due to the group's deep animosity toward the country. Many Islamic State jihadists harbor resentment against Russia for its involvement in the invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and the subsequent decade-long occupation. Additionally, Russia's two wars in Chechnya, which occurred in 1994 and 2000, plausibly further fueled anger among jihadists of the Islamic State. Currently, the heightened hostility toward Moscow is likely a result of Russia's active role against the Islamic State in support of the Syrian regime. With the assistance of Russian airpower, the Assad regime was able to recapture the city of Palmyra in 2017, which had been seized by Islamic State forces. Furthermore, Russia has been actively supporting groups in the Sahel to combat terrorist organizations, including Islamic State affiliates in the region. Despite these efforts to mitigate the threat posed by the Islamic State, Russia has not been able to eliminate the danger. Just days before the Crocus City Hall incident, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) stated that it had killed Islamic State militants who were allegedly planning a terrorist attack on a synagogue in Moscow. However, the FSB failed to identify or forestall the Crocus City Hall attack, despite warnings from the United States. There is substantial evidence indicating that ISKP was responsible for the attack. The group maintains an active presence in Afghanistan, and since the Taliban's takeover of Kabul four years ago, its operations have significantly increased. Due to a lack of international cooperation in combating this terrorist organization, the responsibility for fighting ISKP has largely fallen on the Taliban, which views the group as a direct threat to its regime. ISKP has directed much of its hostility toward the Taliban, in turn, prompting the latter to adopt a forceful strategy against it. The Taliban has reportedly succeeded in infiltrating ISKP by targeting its operatives within the country. However, despite these efforts, the Taliban has been unable to prevent the group from attacking other countries, primarily due to its limited counterterrorism capabilities and the various political and economic crises facing Afghanistan since the regime's takeover. Therefore, Russia's support for the Taliban in their fight against ISKP could enhance their capabilities in combating the group. The growing engagement between the Taliban and Russia can be viewed as a practical partnership. Russia seeks allies to aid in its fight against the Islamic State, with Putin labeling the Taliban as 'allies in the fight against terrorism' in July 2024. On the other hand, the Taliban requires support to sustain their regime in Afghanistan while combating their most significant internal threat, ISKP. In addition to collaborating against a common enemy, Russia's recognition of the Taliban government, which could plausibly lead to other countries following suit, serves as a significant diplomatic boost for the regime. Russia was once an adversary of the Taliban, backing the Northern Alliance, which opposed the Taliban from 1996 to 2001. However, the Taliban are notorious for not acting against terrorist groups using Afghan soil to attack other countries. Nonetheless, the threat posed by ISKP to their regime provides the Taliban with a compelling reason to combat this particular terrorist group. Russian support could enhance the Taliban's counterterrorism capabilities. It remains to be seen how and when Russia will begin providing support, including weapons, to the Taliban in their fight against the Islamic State, particularly its affiliate, ISKP.
Qatar Tribune
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar affirms support for Afghan people in facing multiple challenges
QNA New York Qatar has reaffirmed its continued support for the Afghan people in facing multiple challenges and its commitment to assisting them on the path toward achieving peace and stability. Qatar also expressed its keenness to continue working with regional and international partners to establish the foundations of peace in Afghanistan and strengthen the elements of development. This came in Qatar's statement delivered by Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations HE Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani during the United Nations Security Council's Quarterly Briefing on Situation in Afghanistan, held at the UN headquarters in New York. Sheikha Alya emphasised that the humanitarian, economic, and political situations in Afghanistan require enhanced joint efforts to support and assist the Afghan people. She noted that the security and stability of Afghanistan positively impact regional and international security and peace. She pointed out that Qatar took the initiative to establish the Doha peace track for Afghanistan in 2013 in cooperation with international partners, and hosted a series of dialogues as part of a comprehensive political process involving all segments of Afghan society. She added that these efforts culminated in the signing of the Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan between US and Taliban in Doha on February 29, 2020, which the UN Security Council described in its Resolution 2513 as a significant step toward ending the war and opening the door to intra-Afghan negotiations. The Qatari diplomat said that since then, Qatar has continued its contribution by coordinating international efforts and facilitating dialogue between the United Nations, concerned countries, and the Afghan caretaker government, adding that Qatar takes pride in hosting the UN-led Doha Process on Afghanistan, starting with the meetings of the UN Special Envoys on Afghanistan convened by the UN Secretary-General in Doha in May 2023, February 2024, and July 2024, with the aim of reaching a comprehensive approach to facilitating initial international engagement in a more coherent and coordinated manner for the sake of peace and stability in Afghanistan. Sheikha Alya expressed Qatar's aspiration to host the third meeting of the Working Group on Counter-Narcotics and the second meeting of the Working Group on Supporting Afghanistan's Private Sector, both emerging from the UN-led Doha Process on Afghanistan, which will be held in Doha from June 30 to July 1, with the participation of representatives from the Afghan caretaker government, countries involved in the Doha Process, and technical experts. She stressed that Qatar continues its efforts through the Qatar Fund for Development, in cooperation with United Nations entities, to provide humanitarian support to the Afghan people, including food aid, supporting basic healthcare programmes, improving Afghan children's access to education, providing scholarships, supporting programmes to economically empower Afghan women and enhance their resilience to crises, and backing programmes that empower Afghan youth.
