Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani urged direct engagement with non-state actors as essential to resolving conflicts across the region, from Afghanistan to Gaza.

Speaking at the 23rd Doha Forum, he said peace efforts cannot succeed if major actors on the ground are excluded. “You cannot reach a solution if no one is speaking to non-state actors,” he told a session moderated by US journalist Tucker Carlson.

Sheikh Mohammed noted that Qatar’s mediation model—used in Afghan peace talks and repeated ceasefire efforts in Gaza—is built on facilitating communication between all sides. He revealed that both Hamas and the Taliban opened political offices in Doha at the request of the United States to maintain reliable channels for negotiations.

Addressing accusations that Qatari aid to Gaza was diverted to Hamas, he stressed that all funds were delivered transparently to civilians, with oversight from the US and coordination with Israel.

He also criticised political figures who, he said, distort Qatar’s role for domestic gain, despite its mediation leading to hostage releases, humanitarian pauses, and ceasefires.

The Qatari PM condemned Israel’s strike on Qatari territory in September as an “unprecedented” breach of diplomatic norms and said reconstruction of Gaza must be the responsibility of those who caused the destruction.

This year’s Doha Forum brings together more than 5,000 participants from 162 countries to discuss conflict resolution, humanitarian crises, and global governance.

At the Doha Forum on Saturday, Afghan officials underscored the critical need for renewed dialogue between Afghanistan and Pakistan, warning that recent political tensions risk undermining the region’s broader connectivity and integration goals.

Abdul Hai Qanit, Director of the Center for Strategic Studies at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told participants that constructive engagement between Kabul and Islamabad is essential for long-term stability and economic cooperation.

“We can resolve all issues through dialogue,” Qanit said. “But we must not reach a point of no return, as there are significant interests tied to regional integration.”

He noted that Afghanistan has a strong interest in maintaining positive relations with Pakistan, but cautioned that recent developments are jeopardizing shared progress.

“Trade routes are being weaponized, geography is being politicized, and corridors are being used as leverage in political disputes,” he said. “This threatens the very concept of regional integration.”

Qanit urged both countries to take a long-term view. “It is essential for Pakistan and Afghanistan to sit together and resolve these problems. If these crises continue, confidence in regional connectivity will erode.”

Despite current tensions, he expressed optimism that the situation is temporary. “I believe this is a short-term crisis. The Pakistan-Afghanistan relationship will return to a positive track. Afghanistan can advance ongoing projects and serve not as a threat, but as a hub linking South Asia and Central Asia.”

Echoing this focus on cooperation, Dr. Eldor Aripov, Director of Uzbekistan’s Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies, emphasized that economic engagement remains the most effective way to support Afghanistan’s development.

“Different approaches are needed,” he said. “Our position is clear: economic cooperation is the best tool to help Afghanistan move forward.”

As discussions at the Doha Forum continue, regional leaders are exploring pathways to strengthen cross-border economic projects and expand connectivity across South and Central Asia.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has stated that “the majority of those killed in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were innocent civilians.”

Speaking to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Saturday during the Newsmaker Interview at the Doha Forum, al-Sharaa said: “In every war in the region—whether in Iraq or Afghanistan—we saw that most of the casualties were civilians, yet many of them were labeled as terrorists. The real criminals are those who call others terrorists.”

He also commented on the situation in Syria, asserting that the Assad regime has killed more than one million people over the past 14 years and that nearly 250,000 individuals remain missing. According to al-Sharaa, the prolonged conflict has displaced more than 14 million Syrians.

He added that the difficult experiences of regional wars over the past 25 years have led people to “better understand the true meaning of the word ‘terrorist’ and who truly deserves such a label.”

Western forces fought in Afghanistan for two decades under the banner of counter-terrorism, a period during which tens of thousands of civilians were killed.

Meanwhile, four years after the Islamic Emirate’s return to power, the international community continues to express concern about potential terrorist threats from Afghan territory, while the Islamic Emirate maintains that Afghan soil will not be used to threaten any country.