Doha has hosted the Taliban’s political office under Washington’s request since 2013 to help facilitate dialogue with the West. 

Acting Afghan Foreign Minister, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, held a series of meetings with senior Qatari officials in Doha to discuss recent developments in Afghanistan.

According to Qatar’s foreign ministry, Muttaqi first met Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, on Monday. This was followed by a separate meeting on Tuesday with the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed Al-Khulaifi.

Both Qatari officials reiterated their support for Afghanistan’s security and stability, as well as for “all segments of the Afghan people”.

“The two sides [Al-Khulaifi and Muttaqi] also discussed the importance of continued joint coordination to enhance paths to peace and assist the Afghan people in achieving their aspirations for security and sustainable development,” Qatar’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

The meetings come as Qatar continues its engagement with the Taliban-led administration in Afghanistan, aiming to address the country’s ongoing economic and humanitarian crises.

Doha has hosted the Taliban’s political office under Washington’s request since 2013, serving as a channel to facilitate dialogue between the Taliban and the West. 

The Gulf state played a pivotal role in 2021, when the Taliban seized control of Kabul as the U.S. forces withdrew, marking the end of a 20-year deadly invasion of the country. During this period, Qatar swiftly evacuated more than 80,000 Afghans and foreign nationals in what has been hailed as the largest airlift in history.

Qatar’s efforts in Afghanistan earned it the status of a major non-NATO ally by the United States in 2022.

Operations at the Kabul International Airport resumed in September 2021 after Qatar deployed a technical team to repair the facility.

In the same year, Qatar facilitated the relocation of several Western embassies from Kabul to Doha, including the U.S. embassy.

In November 2021, Qatar and the U.S. agreed that Doha represented Washington’s diplomatic interests in Afghanistan, a move that has enabled further mediation efforts.

Last month, Qatari mediation led to the release of U.S. citizen George Glezmann, more than two and a half years after he was detained by the Taliban.

This came months after Qatar mediated the release of U.S. citizens Ryan Corbett and William McKenty from Afghanistan in January. Their release came in exchange for Khan Mohammed, a Taliban member who was serving a life sentence in California.