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Muttaqi says IEA will skip Doha meeting if their ‘conditions’ aren’t met
Acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi said Wednesday in a meeting with Russia’s ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov that if the Islamic Emirate’s conditions are not taken into consideration ahead of the Doha meeting, then the IEA would prefer to sit this out.
In answer to a question by Zhirnov on whether the IEA would attend the Doha gathering of special representatives to Afghanistan, along with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Muttaqi said they were in close contact with the relevant UN agencies and had shared their views on whether to attend.
Muttaqi said it would be good to attend the meeting but only if it is an opportunity for high-level meaningful consultations between the IEA and the UN, and if the IEA is able to fulfill its responsibility as the official representative of Afghanistan.
Muttaqi said if the IEA’s conditions are not taken into consideration, non-participation would be preferred.
Zhirnov said he understands the IEA’s stance and would convey this to Moscow.
The two diplomats also discussed other issues of bilateral importance.
The IEA has reportedly set conditions for them to attend the meeting. However they have not given details.
On Tuesday, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s ambassador and special representative in Kabul, said the Islamic Emirate has two “important conditions” in order for a delegation to participate.
Qomi did not however say what the two conditions were.
The second meeting of the special representatives of the countries on Afghanistan affairs is scheduled to be held on the 18 and 19 of this month in Doha.
The meeting will be hosted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and participants will discuss the recommendations in the “Afghanistan Independent Assessment” report based on UN Security Council Resolution 2721.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan announced on Tuesday the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle from prison.
According to the ministry, Coyle’s mother had written to the leader of the Islamic Emirate demanding amnesty and the release of her son on the occasion of Eid. The Supreme Court considered time served sufficient and decided to release him.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this action was carried out on the basis of humanitarianism and good faith, and it believes that such measures can strengthen trust between countries. The ministry also expressed hope that both countries, in the future, can find solutions to remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue.
The Islamic Emirate also expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the United Arab Emirates in this matter.
Separately, for Coyle’s release, an American delegation, including Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Tuesday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate.
The meeting was also attended by Saif Mohammed Al-Ketbi, Ambassador of the UAE in Kabul, and a member of the prisoner’s family.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi stated that the Islamic Emirate has not detained any citizen of any country to achieve political objectives; rather, detentions were the result of legal violations, and individuals were released after completing judicial procedures.
At the meeting, Khalilzad praised the action of the Islamic Emirate and emphasized the importance of continuing discussions on all issues between the two countries, expressing hope for further progress in the future.
Muttaqi also stressed that Kabul and the UAE should provide standard consular services to their citizens, and that the Afghan government is fully prepared in this regard.
He thanked Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for their constructive role in facilitating the release of the prisoner and referred to the UAE as a close friend of Afghanistan.
Earlier, Muttaqi had also praised the role of the State of Qatar in facilitating information exchange between the Islamic Emirate and the prisoner’s family.
Additionally, the UAE ambassador expressed his country’s readiness to play a role in humanitarian institutions and called such developments beneficial for everyone.
The United Kingdom has announced an additional £3 million (AFN 257 million) in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, aimed at supporting people affected by natural disasters and other shocks.
Richard Lindsay, in a post on X, said the funding will be used to provide essential nutrition supplies and related support to vulnerable populations.
The new allocation brings the UK’s total bilateral assistance to Afghanistan for the current financial year to £154 million (AFN 13.18 billion).
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