The United States has declared Qatar the guardian of its interests in Afghanistan. Qatar opposes normalization of relations with Syria.
According to Reuters, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani warned at a joint news conference with his US counterpart Anthony Blinken in Washington after the signing of an agreement under which Qatar assumed the role of supporting US diplomatic interests in Afghanistan. It is a mistake to leave Afghanistan.
This will be the first official US mission in Kabul since the withdrawal of troops in August. The United States does not recognize the Taliban and does not want to reopen its embassy and consulate in Kabul.
The Qatari Foreign Minister stressed that the isolation of Afghanistan is not the solution to any problem.
He called on the Taliban to live up to their commitments, while urging the international community to continue to intervene in Afghanistan and not to abandon it.
The Qatari foreign minister said that contact with the Taliban was the only way forward in Afghanistan.
Al-Thani also added that Doha prioritizes helping the people of Afghanistan, especially as winter approaches.
“The events in Afghanistan have strengthened cooperation between Washington and Doha, and I thank the Emir of Qatar for his help,” Blinken said.
He added: “Our relations with Qatar are expanding and the events in Afghanistan have strengthened cooperation between the two countries.” A unit will be established within the Qatari Embassy in Afghanistan to provide our consular services.
“Our partnership with Qatar on regional issues is essential,” he said.
Blinken described Qatar as a vital partner in promoting regional stability. Al-Thani also said that Doha is committed to helping the stability of Afghanistan and the security and well-being of the Afghan people.
Meanwhile, a Qatari official accompanying the Qatari delegation in Washington described the opening of the US Office of the Secretary of Defense in Kabul as a prelude to negotiations and indirect contacts with the Afghan government.
Qatar is set to allocate a section to the US Interests Office inside its embassy in Kabul.
In another agreement, Qatar was to act as a transit country between the United States and Afghanistan so that Afghan citizens with visas could travel to Qatar to use the facilities of Qatar.
“The friendship between Qatar and the United States became closer this year. When Qatar worked closely with the United States, more than 60,000 people were evacuated from Afghanistan,” the Qatari foreign minister said during the signing of the agreement.
Qatar has hosted the Taliban’s political office in Doha since 2011 as well as US-Taliban peace talks.
A senior US State Department official also told Reuters that Qatar, as the guardian of US interests, would help provide limited consular services and protect US interests in Afghanistan.
According to him, the provision of consular services by the country of interest, including Qatar, includes the acceptance of passport applications, the provision of notarial services for documents, the provision of information and assistance in emergencies.
On the other hand, the joint press conference of the Qatari and US foreign ministers on Syria was also discussed, with Anthony Blinken expressing Washington’s concern over official visits to Syria. At the same time, the Qatari foreign minister expressed hope that the normalization of relations with the Syrian regime would be stopped.
“We are concerned about the signals that official visits to Syria are sending,” Blinken told a news conference.
“We do not support the normalization of relations with the Assad regime and we will explain to our allies and partners to look into this issue,” he added.
Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister also stressed that Qatar’s position on the normalization of relations with Damascus is clear and that this is a step that his country is not thinking about at the moment.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said Qatar wants to stop the normalization of relations with Bashar al-Assad’s government.
Qatar supported the rebels against Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war. It also has close ties with Turkey, which is a staunch opponent of the Syrian government.
