Taliban Official to Speak at Doha Forum for the First Time

For the first time, a representative from the Taliban-led administration’s foreign ministry is set to speak at the Doha Forum, scheduled to take place in the Qatari capital from December 6 to 8. The international conference, hosting participants from over 160 countries, will specifically address the issue of Afghanistan on the second day under the theme, “Revitalizing Afghanistan through Regional Connectivity.”

According to the event agenda, Afghanistan is described as a potential linchpin for stability in Central and South Asia. Organizers have stressed that the future of peace, trade, and regional linkages is inextricably tied to the situation in Afghanistan. The agenda asserts that, after decades of foreign military intervention and externally imposed reforms, the time has come to explore practical strategies and economic cooperation as the means for regional integration and rebuilding Afghanistan.

Abdul Hai Qanit, head of the Center for Strategic Studies at the Taliban administration’s foreign ministry, is among the session’s speakers. Other Afghanistan-related speakers include Ismatullah Irgashev, Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan; Eldor Aripov, Director of the Institute for Strategic Studies in Uzbekistan; Walid Zaid, professor at Georgetown University in Qatar; and Zahra Babar, Executive Director of the Center for International and Regional Studies at Georgetown University.

In carefully worded statements, Doha Forum organizers called for a shift away from past coercive policies and toward economic partnerships and regional collaboration with Afghanistan. An official forum document noted that growing humanitarian needs and declining foreign aid have compelled regional states to seek solutions through trade and economic cooperation, arguing that stability has not been achieved through force.

Meanwhile, Abdul Zahoor Madbar, an expert on economic affairs, said politics and economics are closely linked and that, if promises made at the forum are fulfilled, they could have a positive impact on stability in Afghanistan. However, he warned that without practical action plans, such forums risk being no more than political spectacles.

The Doha Forum will also address broader global issues, including the crisis in Gaza, the war in Ukraine, tensions between Iran and Israel, and concerns over the global economy.