Qatar’s foreign minister has said that no country has leverage over the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), but that Doha will capitalize on its communication channel with the IEA to urge them to reverse their decision on girls’ education.

Speaking in an interview with CNBC on Saturday, that coincided with Doha Forum 2022, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that IEA’s decision to ban girls above sixth grade from entering schools came as a “shock.”

He called on the IEA to reconsider the decision.

“We have been urging them to adopt a policy to stand up to their promises for the international community to allow the girls to go back to school, to allow the women to their workplace, but broader than that also to have a government that is inclusive and without discriminating any part of Afghan people.

Asked if Qatar had any leverage with IEA, he said that no country has leverage over them.

“The only leverage that we have is the communication channel. We maintain it open and help and save a lot of people… We are counting on capitalizing on this communication channel between us and the Taliban (IEA) in order to urge them to reverse such a decision and re-allow the girls to go back to their school,” he said.

Meanwhile, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West has said that the countries of the region have a unique relationship and influence over Afghanistan that many of the countries of the West do not.

“The Pakistanis, the Russians, the Chinese, the Tajiks, Uzbeks, Turkmens, Iranians, they do have a special kind of influence over the country,” West said speaking at the Doha Forum.

The Doha Forum, in its 22nd year since its inception, met Saturday and Sunday to discuss ‘Transforming for a New Era’. Among the issues discussed was the situation in Afghanistan.

Doha Forum 2022 once again brought together a distinguished group of thought-leaders, policy makers and journalists to tackle the world’s shared challenges.