Qatar’s special envoy Faisal Al Hanzab on Sunday said engagement with the Taliban “does not mean recognition,” telling a Doha Forum panel that dialogue is meant to keep all sides “on one roadmap, guided by goodwill,” toward eventual peace and stability in the region.
“Engagement, as we tell our colleagues and friends in the West, does not mean recognition,” Al Hanzab said. “It means that we are on one roadmap, one platform, guided by goodwill. One day, we will reach comprehensive peace and stability in the region.”
Qatar, which hosted the Taliban’s political office for more than a decade and mediated the 2020 US-Taliban agreement, has continued to position itself as a channel between the Taliban and the international community following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Al Hanzab said Doha had offered its “good offices” to help bridge gaps between “Afghanistan and world governments”, adding that Qatar had convened three rounds of special envoys’ meetings on Afghanistan to preserve diplomatic engagement.
“We have no option other than engagement,” he said. “Qatar has always been a center for dialogue … We spare no effort to keep this momentum and to achieve what we are discussing today — connectivity.”
He also emphasized that regional connectivity initiatives would remain stalled unless neighbouring states reach a consensus on political and security issues linked to Afghanistan.
“When we speak about connectivity, it must address all the interconnected issues among neighboring countries,” he said. “Qatar has become a host not only for international community–led processes, but also for bilateral engagements between Afghanistan and third countries.”
