Qatar to help pave way for Taliban-govt parleys

 KABUL and the Afghan government.

During his visit to Doha, President Hamid Karzai held talks with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani on the peace process, a statement from the Presidential Palace in Kabul said.

Expansion of bilateral cooperation also came up for discussion, with Karzai thanking the Qatari ruler for sending a team of investors from the Gulf state to Kabul.

The president invited the emir, who expressed his pleasure over Qatari entrepreneurs’ willingness to invest in the war-torn country, to visit Kabul.

Al Thani said:  “The Afghans have gone through a lot of suffering and the Qatari government understands their situation. Our people have special respect for the Afghans.”

He added: “The Qatari government is ready to cooperate with efforts at speeding up the peace drive and paving the ground for negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban.”

While accepting Karzai’s invitation, the emir said he would visit Afghanistan in the near future. Dates of the trip will be firmed later on.

On March 30, Karzai met the Qatari ruler to discuss plans for the Taliban office in Doha. Initially opposed to the Taliban having a political bureau outside Afghanistan, Karzai later changed his mind on the issue.

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