Doha / Information Office / August 31

HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani met Tuesday with HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany Heiko Maas, who is currently visiting the country.

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the bilateral cooperation and the latest security and political developments in Afghanistan.

Speaking in a press conference with HE the German Foreign Minister, HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani highlighted Qatar's position calling on all Afghan parties to form an expanded government that includes all parties, with the necessity of not excluding any party, considering that this matter will represent a very important yardstick for the international community.

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said that during the talks of the State of Qatar with the Taliban, the latter did not react, either positive or negative, to this issue, pointing in the same context to the Taliban's assertion of their openness to any proposals.

HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that the issue of international recognition of the Taliban government is not an emergency issue, noting that the issue of communication with the Taliban is the most important issue now, and this is what the friendly and allied countries stress on.

HE noted the position of the State of Qatar sees that the importance now is focused on the issue of communication with the Taliban, based on the Qatari mediation in the talks between them and the United States, and the facilitation of the intra-Afghan talks, stressing that the State of Qatar will continue to open channels of communication with all parties in Afghanistan, whether with the Taliban or others.

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed the hope for a national reconciliation in Afghanistan in order to maintain the gains of the Afghan people and its rights.

HE explained that the policy of isolation is useless, noting that the experiences of the past years have proven that the isolation of the Taliban in 1996 led to the current situation.

HE underlined that interaction with the Taliban may lead to positive results, noting that in the last ten days, since the Taliban took control of the capital Kabul, there has been a great interaction with them in order to organize the evacuation process and combat terrorism. This interaction has led to positive results, adding, "if we started imposing conditions and obstructing this interaction, we will leave a void, and the question here is: Who will fill this void?"

HE reiterated that the policy of the State of Qatar maintains open channels of communication with every party that wants communication and dialogue, stressing that this is the foreign policy pursued by the State of Qatar for decades.

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs urged other countries to continue interacting and communicating with the Taliban, stressing that without this communication, no progress can be reached, whether in the political, economic or social aspect in Afghanistan. He noted that this is the position of the State of Qatar which is common with its allies and partners. 

On the talks regarding the management of Kabul Airport, HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that the issue is still in the process of discussion and evaluation, stressing that there are many aspects that need to be evaluated, whether in the security or technical aspects.

HE said that the issue of reopening the airport is one of the most important issues for Afghanistan in order to achieve one of the commitments made by the Taliban in the past, which is to allow freedom of movement. He believed that freedom of movement is among the most important things through which the Taliban can prove to the international community that the situation in Afghanistan is stable. It is an important indicator for the State of Qatar and also for the allies in all countries.

During the press conference, HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that his meeting with HE German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas was very important, as the two sides discussed the bilateral relations and ways of developing them, in addition to the developments in the region, with a focus on Afghanistan.

HE said that the two sides agreed on the need to unify international efforts to deal with field developments in the Afghan issue and their repercussions on the international arena. The two sides also focused on the most important security and political developments and the need to unify international efforts to protect civilians and ways to reach a peaceful transfer of power and maintain the gains of the Afghan people.

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed that the State of Qatar is ready to cooperate in strengthening regional and international consensus in order to achieve stability in Afghanistan, stressing the importance of preserving the basic rights of all spectrums of the Afghan people.

He noted that his meeting with the German Foreign Minister discussed means of cooperation and combining efforts to avoid any humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan by providing humanitarian and development assistance, stressing the importance of cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

HE noted that Afghanistan is going through a critical stage, affirming the importance for the Taliban to cooperate in this field and fulfill its obligations.

For his part, HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany Heiko Maas praised the role the State of Qatar played and continues to play during the current Afghan crisis, and its humanitarian efforts which contributed to the evacuation of thousands of people from Afghanistan and transporting them to Doha before their last destinations.

He indicated that the State of Qatar played a leading role in the evacuation process through negotiations with the Taliban, which enabled the transfer of a large number of Germans and Afghan employees who were working with German companies, in addition to other Afghan citizens who were agreed to be received in Germany.

HE the German Foreign Minister underlined that Doha was a strategic center in this process, whether through the evacuation operations or the negotiations with the Taliban.

He noted that his recent talks which he held in a number of countries in the region focused on how to move forward in this process and how to ensure air and land transportation, given that the matter needs coordination with countries neighboring Afghanistan and other countries, adding that the State of Qatar plays a major role in the field of air transport and evacuations, but the important thing now is to ensure the continued operation of Kabul Airport with the aim of humanitarian operations and the evacuation of people.

On the other hand, HE the German Foreign Minister noted the importance of communication and talks with the Taliban, referring to different points of view regarding communication with the Taliban or not. He stressed the importance of continuing the talks with the Taliban in order to find practical solutions to the challenges at Kabul Airport, warning that instability in Afghanistan cannot be tolerated because it will undoubtedly serve terrorism.

He stressed the need to express to the Taliban the expectations and the limits, and not to judge them by their words but by their actions.

He noted that the German ambassador in Qatar is holding talks with the Taliban, and that the entire Afghan crisis needs international cooperation, without which the current situation cannot be controlled.

HE the German Foreign Minister stressed the importance of the talks with the Taliban, noting that the talks were not conducted by Germany only, but they were taking place in Doha as well, even before they took control over Kabul, and the German Ambassador to Qatar was participating in these talks.

The German Minister underlined that the issue of international recognition of the Taliban is not the most important issue now and the practical solutions must be reached for several issues.

He said that the Taliban was demanded to preserve human rights and women's rights, in addition to forming an inclusive government. The coming days will show how the Taliban will behave in these aspects.

He stressed that the focus is now also on the policy of the Taliban, and how it will deal with the demands raised by many parties to them, and such matters must be discussed at the international level.

He noted that Germany's talks with the Taliban do not mean recognition of it, saying: "We want to find solutions for those who want to get out of Afghanistan, and we first want to see the Taliban's policy on the ground. We have set some conditions, as we did with the previous government in Afghanistan, and I am confident that the international position will be unified in this aspect."

HE the German Foreign Minister expressed his country's readiness to provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, explaining that there is fear of a humanitarian crisis erupting, especially with the end of summer and the advent of autumn and winter.

Regarding the possibility of a German or European representation in Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban, HE the German Foreign Minister explained that there is currently coordination between Germany and the European Union on the importance of having a European representation in Afghanistan, noting that the talks with the Taliban in Doha helped a lot regarding this issue.

He believed that there should be a German embassy in Kabul in the future, but this is linked to the political and security situation in Afghanistan.