KABUL — Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy chief minister for economic affairs, met with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Thursday during his visit to Doha, according to a statement from the Taliban.
The statement said the two officials discussed bilateral relations, Afghanistan’s economic situation, and investment opportunities for both the Qatari government and private sector.
The Qatari government has not yet issued a statement regarding the meeting.
Baradar’s visit comes despite his name remaining on the United Nations sanctions list. He was added to the UN Security Council’s sanctions regime in 2001 for his role as a senior Taliban leader and remained under travel bans, asset freezes, and arms embargoes for years. In 2019, following negotiations between the Taliban and the United States in Doha, some travel restrictions on Baradar and other Taliban officials were temporarily lifted to facilitate peace talks. However, after the Taliban seized power in August 2021, the UN did not extend the exemption, effectively restoring the travel ban.
