‘We have no influence on the Taliban,’ says Qatari foreign minister

NL Today

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Kathmandu: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has said that Qatar is a key supporter of humanitarian efforts to evacuate individuals from Afghanistan but it does not have any influence on the Taliban. “Qatar is a neutral mediator between the various parties in Afghanistan,” he said.

While stating that Qatar has played a unique role to keep peace and evacuating individuals from Afghanistan, he added that Qatar Airways played a vital role to transfer foreign nationals from Afghanistan to their respective countries. Until Monday the number of evacuated people reached 7,000 and it is expected to increase more.

Embassy of Qatar in Kabul is particularly engaged to help people in need, Al-Thani said. “We are trying to reach out to those nationals whom their countries’ people cannot reach,” he further said. He added that Qatar is working to transfer people who wants to leave Afghanistan and mediating with international community to keep peace but they don’t have influence on the Taliban.

“We are trying to reduce humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan,” Al-Thani said.