KABUL (Pajhwok): The European Union Special Envoy for Afghanistan Tomas Niklasson says that the officials of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) have a positive outlook on the upcoming Doha meeting.
Niklasson addressed a press conference at the end of a four-day trip to Kabul, during which he met high-rank officials of the caretaker government ahead of the Doha meeting hosted by the UN in Qatar on Feb 18.
He said: “The main focus of my visit this time was to compare notes with the de facto authorities, other Afghans and representatives of the diplomatic community to help us set realistic expectations and prepare better for a constructive Doha meeting.”
“The Doha meeting will take place over two days, on the eighteenth and nineteenth of February, and the agenda is defined and set by the convener of the meeting, the UN. I think the main -- for what we understand and the details we have seen so far -- a main focus will really be to discuss the report I mentioned.
“The independent assessment by Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, and that report actually proposes the key areas where work would be needed for a more normalized relationship between Afghanistan and the international community, and it mentions two areas where work is needed: one is a commitment and delivery, fulfillment, upholding by the interim government of Afghanistan by the de facto authorities,” he said.
According to him, they discussed the independent assessment and its recommendations as a possible and positive way forward to protect the rights of the people of Afghanistan.
“I shared my assessment that the Doha meeting is a significant opportunity to meet to hold meaningful discussions about Afghanistan, and to show, on all sides, readiness to engage in a way forward, based on the report, in a UN-led process.”
The EU envoy said that the acting ministers had shared their positive outlook with him on the Doha meeting and their participation and informed him that the composition of the delegation was currently being discussed and would be decided, taking into account also some expected clarifications regarding the meeting formats and proceedings in Doha.
“Next week, I look forward to meeting colleagues from the five Central Asian countries at the EU-Central Asia meeting on Afghanistan hosted by Kyrgyzstan,” Niklasson informed.
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