The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs went out of its way to mediate between the US and the Taliban. At the forefront of efforts was the role of Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, Minister of Foreign Affairs since January 2016, and Prime Minister since March 2023.
Sheikh Mohammed communicated with various parties, especially with the emergence of the Qatari solution and its effective role in the evacuation operations, which made Western governments rush to visit Doha and communicate with its officials.
Overall, the period between July and December 2021 was the most important in terms of diplomatic efforts undertaken by the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This report provides a summary of the efforts made by Sheikh Mohammed during this period.
August 14: Meeting with the Taliban delegation
Sheikh Mohammed met with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, head of the Taliban’s political office, and his accompanying delegation. At the meeting, the Qatari Foreign Minister urged the Taliban to reduce tension, with the aim of accelerating efforts to reach a comprehensive political settlement for a prosperous future for Afghanistan. The two parties met again on August 17.
August 21: Meeting with the UK Prime Minister’s envoy
Sheikh Mohammed met with Simon Gass, the UK Prime Minister’s envoy, in Doha. At the meeting, Sheikh Mohammed stressed the need to protect civilians, and the importance of intensifying efforts to achieve comprehensive national reconciliation, which will ensure a peaceful transfer of power. Gass thanked Qatar for its effective contribution to the evacuation operations and the efforts made to bring peace to Afghanistan and the region.
August 23: The first strategic dialogue between Qatar and Japan
Sheikh Mohammed met with his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi and his accompanying delegation. They discussed the recent field developments in Afghanistan, and talked on the political and security situation in the country. Motegi thanked Qatar’s effective efforts in the evacuation operations and its contribution to bringing peace to the region.
August 26: Meeting with the Chinese Special Envoy for Afghanistan
Sheikh Mohammed met with Yue Xiaoyong, Special Envoy for Afghan Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China. At the meeting, they stressed the need to protect civilians, and the importance of intensifying efforts to achieve comprehensive national reconciliation, which will ensure a peaceful transfer of power.
August 30: G7 Ministerial Meeting on Afghanistan
Eleven countries and organizations participated in the meeting, and a representative of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed, attended. The meeting reviewed the latest developments in the humanitarian, political, and security situation in Afghanistan, and discussed developments in civilian evacuation operations. The international efforts necessary to ensure a peaceful transition, protect civilians, and preserve the rights of the Afghan people were emphasized.
August 31: Meeting with Germany’s top diplomat
Sheikh Mohammed met with his German counterpart Heiko Maas, who thanked Qatar’s efforts, stressing that Doha served as a strategic center, whether in evacuation or leading negotiations with the Taliban.
September 1: Meeting with Netherlands’ FM
Sheikh Mohammed met with Sigrid Kaag, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The two parties agreed on the value and necessity of international cooperation and continuous consultation regarding developments in the security and political situation in Afghanistan. They also talked about how to deal with the humanitarian situation there and how to provide appropriate development assistance to deal with the current situation.
September 4: Meeting with UN Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs
Sheikh Mohammed met with Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, in Doha, to discuss cooperation between Qatar and the UN on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. The meeting underscored Qatar’s support for international humanitarian efforts, its commitment to cooperation with the UN in humanitarian affairs, and its aspiration for more partnerships with the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs.
September 5: Meeting with the Italian Foreign Minister
Sheikh Mohammed met with the Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio to discuss bilateral cooperation and the situation in Afghanistan, including security and political aspects, and joint coordination between the two countries. Di Maio thanked Qatar for its assistance in evacuating Italian citizens from Afghanistan.
September 7: Meeting with the US Secretaries of State and Defense
Sheikh Mohammed and Qatar’s Minister of Defense Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah met with US secretaries of state and defense Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin. Following the meeting, a joint press conference was held, in which the Qatari Foreign Minister stated that Qatar and the US have had a strategic partnership for many decades, and that the meeting included a discussion of the Afghan situation and how to deal with it to ensure the continued provision of aid, while emphasizing Qatari efforts in this regard.
September 9: Meetings with Pakistani leaders
Sheikh Mohammed visited Pakistan and held individual meetings with PM Imran Khan, FM Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and chief of staff Lieutenant General QAMAr Javed Bajwa. The aim of the meetings was to discuss developments in the situation in Afghanistan, and to strengthen bilateral cooperation relations between the two countries.
September 9: Meeting with Iran’s top diplomat
Sheikh Mohammed met with Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in Tehran. The two parties discussed several topics, the most important of which were developments in the situation in Afghanistan, and discussed ways of cooperation between the two countries. They also stressed the strengthening of relations between the two countries in all fields and the importance of continued dialogue to support regional stability.
September 12: Visiting Kabul
Sheikh Muhammad visited Kabul, making him the first foreign official to visit Afghanistan after the departure of US forces. Following the visit, the Taliban thanked the Qatari government for supporting the Afghan people at this critical time, stressing that the Doha Agreement was a pivotal achievement that everyone must adhere to.
Muhammad Naeem, the official spokesman for the Taliban’s political office, appreciated Qatar’s assistance to Afghanistan, noting that Qatar has provided a great deal of assistance to Afghanistan in various fields over the years. He also stressed the importance of opening the Taliban’s political office in Doha.
September 13: Meeting with the French Foreign Minister
Sheikh Mohammed met with the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. At the meeting, the Qatari Foreign Minister described the Qatari-French ties as deep and historic, stressing the close cooperation in various fields and the importance of continuous consultation.
The two parties discussed strengthening bilateral relations, future opportunities for cooperation, and international issues of common interest, especially the situation in Afghanistan and its developments, while emphasizing the necessity of Afghan national reconciliation. Le Drian praised Qatar’s constructive role in the Afghan crisis and its evacuation efforts.
September 14: Meeting with the Spanish Foreign Minister
Sheikh Mohammed met with his Spanish counterpart José Manuel Albares. Sheikh Mohammed praised the strong relations, economic and investment cooperation between Qatar and Spain, and the two discussed strengthening the partnerships and Spain’s economic transformation, with a focus on regional files, including Afghanistan, where Sheikh Mohammed stressed Qatar’s role in supporting the Afghan people and the need for concerted international efforts to help them.
September 30: Meeting with the EU Foreign Policy Commissioner
Sheikh Mohammed met with Josep Borrell, EU Foreign Policy Commissioner, who highlighted the Qatari role in Afghanistan, explaining that Qatar plays a strategic part in dealing with the new situation in the country and facilitating communication with the Taliban.
November 12: Fourth Qatari-US Strategic Dialogue
The fourth strategic dialogue between Qatar and the US was held by the foreign ministers of the two countries. Blinken highlighted Qatar’s role as the US diplomatic partner in Afghanistan to the extent it helps issue visas to people who want to leave the country. For his part, Sheikh Mohammed stressed the partnership between Doha and Washington in various sectors, and the friendship between the two countries that extends over the decades.
November 27: Meeting with the Afghan caretaker government
Sheikh Mohammed met with a delegation from the Afghan caretaker government headed by Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. At the meeting, Sheikh Mohammed underlined humanitarian aid reaching the deserving Afghan people, and pointed out the necessity of ensuring the continued operation of schools in Afghanistan, and providing educational opportunities for all sections of society. He also renewed Qatar’s commitment to continue working with all parties to enhance stability in Afghanistan.
November 29: Participation in the Rome Mediterranean Dialogue
Sheikh Mohammed participated in the Rome Mediterranean Dialogue, stressing that Qatar considers the Russian Federation an important partner in efforts to achieve stability and security in Afghanistan. He also noted that there are differences between Russia’s approach and the other country’s approach regarding Afghanistan; however, he added, Qatar is seeking to find a common solution that everyone can agree on to achieve the best for the Afghan people.
The tireless efforts of Sheikh Mohammed are evidence of the active role played by the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and that Qatar is keen to cooperate with all parties in times of crises, and to provide continuous support to deal with challenges. This made Qatar the preferable mediator that every party accepted and sought help from.
