Qatar took part in the Geneva international ministerial conference on Afghanistan, which was held virtually yesterday.
HE the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi represented Qatar at the conference.
In the statement, he said that the wide participation by the international community in the conference affirms the joint will to achieve the aspirations of the Afghan people for stability, security and development.
HE al-Muraikhi noted Qatar’s appreciation for the participation of Afghan President Dr Ashraf Ghani and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and extended thanks to all participants and organisers of the conference. He said the conference is being held at an important stage in the history of Afghanistan, as it coincides with the ongoing Afghan peace negotiations hosted by Doha, which represent a real opportunity to end the decades-long conflict, violence and instability, and to fulfil the aspirations of the Afghan people for security, stability, prosperity and sustainable development.
The minister noted that Qatar has realised the futility of any military solution to the Afghan crisis.
Based on its belief in the necessity of resolving and settling disputes by peaceful means,  Qatar has made unremitting efforts through mediation and good offices in order to lay the foundation for peace in Afghanistan and to strengthen regional, international peace and stability, which resulted in signing of the peace agreement between the US and the Taliban in Doha on February 29, ceasefire during Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, and the mutual release of prisoners between the Afghan government and the Taliban, in addition to the start of intra-Afghan peace negotiations on September 12.
In this regard, the minister stressed the need for all Afghan parties to assume their responsibilities, give priority to the supreme national interest, move forward in the political process, achieve consensus and national reconciliation, preserve the unity and sovereignty of Afghanistan, and to work on building the state of institutions on the principles of democracy, respect for human rights, the rule of law, combating corruption, justice and equality, under an Afghan leadership, which would strengthen the confidence between the people and their government on the one hand, and between the international community and Afghanistan.
HE al-Muraikhi said that Qatar appreciates and supports all international and regional efforts aimed at helping the Afghan people and stressed the need for the international community to continue providing the necessary support to ensure the implementation of strategic national programmes and plans, assessing the progress made, identifying the challenges ahead and ways to overcome them, preserving the numerous gains that have been achieved on the ground and working to consolidate them, and developing the Afghan national institutional performance level and capabilities, especially in light of the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and its negative repercussions on the social, economic and humanitarian fields.
Al-Muraikhi reiterated that Qatar will continue to provide support to the Afghan people, noting that this support was embodied recently by joining the Core Group of the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees Support Platform, based on the belief that the solution to Afghan refugee and displacement issues depends on achieving peace.