The Embassy of the State of Qatar in Kabul held a roundtable discussion on Afghanistan’s relations with the international community, bringing together representatives from the United Nations and Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The meeting was attended by Georgette Gagnon, Acting Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Political Affairs, as well as Scott Smith, Head of UNAMA’s Political Affairs Division.

The Afghan side was represented by Zakir Jalaly, Head of the Second Political Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Abdul Hai Qanit, Director of the Strategic Studies Center at the ministry.

According to a statement issued by the Qatari Embassy, discussions focused on the future of Afghanistan’s relations with the international community and explored ways to support and strengthen those ties.

The roundtable reflects ongoing diplomatic efforts to encourage dialogue and engagement on Afghanistan’s international relations amid evolving regional and global dynamics.

Belgium said on Monday it had issued five visas to an Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) delegation to attend an EU meeting on migration in ​Brussels, in what would be the first time the EU has hosted the IEA since it returned to power ‌in Afghanistan five years ago.

The visas are restricted in both geographical scope and duration, allowing travel only to Belgium and for a single day, a Belgian foreign ministry spokesperson said, adding that the date of the visit would not be disclosed for security reasons.

Two European officials said the delegation had ​been granted one-day visas valid only on Tuesday, June 23, Reuters reported.

The Commission last month invited IEA officials to Brussels to ​discuss deportations of Afghan migrants.

The Commission said the meeting is technical and does not constitute recognition of IEA rule.

“Member ​States are looking into ways to return persons who have committed serious crimes and who are possibly a security threat. So ​this is the initiative that the Commission is now following up on,” Commission spokesman Markus Lammert told the EU’s daily press briefing on Monday.

According to a letter seen by Reuters and addressed to Abdul Qaher Balkhi, an Afghan foreign ministry spokesman, it will focus on “the return and readmission of Afghan ​nationals without a right to stay in the European Union”.

Iran’s senior negotiating team has returned to Tehran following nearly 18 hours of intensive discussions with United States officials in Switzerland, while technical experts remain in place to continue work on the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.

Mediators Pakistan and Qatar reported that the opening round of high-level negotiations yielded “encouraging progress,” with both sides agreeing to a roadmap designed to secure a comprehensive agreement within the next 60 days.

The diplomatic efforts come amid ongoing regional tensions. Earlier, US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could consider military action if Iran continues to support Hezbollah. In response, Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, urged the United States to avoid inflammatory rhetoric that could undermine the talks.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces would remain deployed in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary, while Hezbollah pledged to respond to any breaches of the current ceasefire arrangement.

Despite the challenges, US Vice President JD Vance struck an optimistic tone, describing the negotiations as highly productive. He said a “very good foundation” had been laid for a final agreement and noted that negotiators had achieved significant progress, expressing confidence in the direction of the talks.

The latest developments have raised hopes that sustained diplomatic engagement could pave the way for a broader understanding between Tehran and Washington in the coming weeks.