Qatar’s ruler urges world leaders not to boycott Taliban

In the spirit of diplomacy, Sheikh Tamim said Qatar agreed years ago to host the Taliban’s political leadership in exile because we were confident that war offers no solution and that there would be dialogue in the end.

Qatar is a close US ally and hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East, but the tiny Gulf Arab state also has some sway with the Taliban.

Because of its unique role, Qatar hosted direct US-Taliban talks around the American withdrawal from Afghanistan and helped facilitate evacuations from Kabul.

Now, countries like the US and Japan have relocated their diplomatic staff in Afghanistan to Qatar to continue diplomacy from there. Qatar is also assisting with the facilitation of needed humanitarian aid and with operations at Kabul airport.

Sheikh Tamim on Tuesday urged against repeating past mistakes in Afghanistan to impose a political system from outside.

Regardless of intentions, efforts made and money invested, this experience in Afghanistan has collapsed after 20 years, Sheikh Tamim said.

The 41-year-old leader said the international community must continue to support Afghanistan at this critical stage and to separate humanitarian aid from political differences. Afghanistan is among the world’s poorest countries and receives billions of dollars in foreign aid a year, though that could change with the U.S.-backed government out of power and the Taliban now in charge.

Uzbekistan, another neighboring country to Afghanistan, has resumed the supply of oil and electricity to the war-torn country, according to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

It is impossible to isolate Afghanistan and leave it within the range of its problems, he said in remarks at the UN on Tuesday. He called for a permanent UN Committee on Afghanistan.