Qatar’s Prime Minister calls for incentive-based engagement with Afghanistan

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, has urged the international community to adopt an incentive-based approach rather than punitive measures in dealing with Afghanistan under the Islamic Emirate rule.

Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in New York City on Wednesday, Sheikh Mohammed acknowledged that while Afghanistan’s transition since the Islamic Emirate takeover did not unfold smoothly, the situation was also “not as bad as expected and we know that there are a lot of challenges over there.”

The Qatari leader emphasized the existence of differing perspectives within Afghanistan’s leadership, with some focusing on restrictions and others wanting normal relationship with the international community.

“And I believe that what will prevail at the end the ones who wants to build a state that has a normal relationship with the international community.”

Sheikh Mohammed called on the global community to rethink its strategy toward Kabul, suggesting that positive reinforcement could yield better results than isolation or sanctions.

“Efforts to change the situation in Afghanistan should be carried out in an incentivizing way instead of a penalizing way,” he said. “Instead of saying, ‘Because you are doing this, I will sanction you,’ the approach should be, ‘If you do this, I will reward you for that.’ So I think that this mindset needs to be changed by the international community then we can get maybe Afghanistan in the right track.”

Qatar has played a key diplomatic role in Afghanistan for years, hosting talks between the Islamic Emirate and the United States that led to the 2020 Doha Agreement. Since the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in 2021, Doha has maintained open channels with the Islamic Emirate while advocating for international engagement to encourage moderation and stability in the country.

The Islamic Emirate has not yet commented on the Qatari PM’s recent remarks. It has previously emphasised that it remains united and seeks normal relations with the world.