Wrapping up a four-day visit to Kabul, the European Union’s special representative for Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, said on Thursday he met with a range of Afghans, including Islamic Emirate officials and diplomats, in order to prepare for the upcoming Doha meeting.

He said it was important to be well-prepared for the meeting but noted that the focus will not be on international recognition of the IEA government.

Niklasson said he met with UN representatives, Afghan government officials, civil society members, including women, former president Hamid Karzai, and NGO colleagues.

“The main focus of my visit this time was to compare notes with the de facto authorities (IEA), other Afghans and representatives of the diplomatic community to help us set realistic expectations and prepare better for a constructive Doha meeting,” he said.

“My visit to Kabul follows extensive outreach to countries invited to the Doha meeting on Feb. 18-19, convened by the UN and hosted by Qatar.”

“I engaged with Afghan authorities and diplomats to set realistic goals for the forthcoming Doha meeting,” he added.

According to him he underscored the Doha meeting’s significance for meaningful dialogue, emphasizing readiness for a UN-led process.

In line with preparations for the Doha meeting, he said he participated in a G7+ meeting in London two weeks ago, and had talks with various officials from a number of countries including Türkiye, Japan and US. In addition he “held bilateral conversations with several others, including Indonesia, Pakistan and the OIC.

Niklasson said he will meet with officials from the five Central Asian countries at the EU-Central Asia meeting on Afghanistan hosted by Kyrgyzstan.

He pointed out that unlike last year’s Doha meeting, IEA representatives have been invited to attend this gathering.

According to him, discussions have been held on the UN’s independent assessment and its recommendations, on the aspirations of the IEA, who want good relations with the international community.

“I shared my assessment that the Doha meeting is a significant opportunity to meet to hold meaningful discussions about Afghanistan, and to show, on all sides, readiness to engage on a way forward, based on the [UN assessment] report,” which he said appeared to have been well received among all interlocutors.

He noted that the Islamic Emirate’s acting ministers shared with him their positive outlook on the Doha meeting “and their participation and informed me that the composition of the delegation was currently being discussed and would be decided, taking into account also some expected clarifications regarding meeting formats and proceedings in Doha.”

Earlier this week the IEA confirmed they had been invited to attend the Doha meeting but stated they would make a decision on whether to attend once they had more information on the proceedings.