The United States and Qatar have agreed that Doha will represent the diplomatic interests of the US in Afghanistan, the first official representation for the US in Kabul since its troop withdrawal in August.
Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed a pair of “strategic” agreements on Friday, providing that Qatar will assume the role of “protecting power” for US interests in Afghanistan.
“Qatar is a crucial partner in promoting regional stability,” Secretary Blinken said in remarks with Al Thani at the State Department in Washington, DC.
Qatar will facilitate formal communication between Washington and the Taliban government in Afghanistan, which the US has not recognised.
Al Thani said: “We are dedicated to contributing to the stability of Afghanistan and the safety and well being of the Afghan people.”
“Qatar will establish a US interests section within its embassy in Afghanistan to provide certain consular services and monitor the condition and security of US diplomatic facilities in Afghanistan,” Blinken said.
“The second agreement formalises our partnership with Qatar to facilitate the travel of Afghans with US Special Immigrant Visas.”
Qatar will work to ensure international humanitarian assistance reaches the people in Afghanistan, Al Thani said.
The move comes at a time when the US and other Western countries are grappling with how to engage with the Taliban. The group seized power in Kabul after a rapid military advance across Afghanistan as US forces withdrew after 20 years of war.
“There is still much to be done in Afghanistan, and Qatar remains committed to continue that necessary work alongside the United States and partners around the world,” Al Thani said.
Millions of Afghans face growing hunger amid soaring food prices, a drought and an economy in freefall, fuelled by a cash shortage, sanctions on Taliban leaders and the suspension of financial aid.
The Taliban victory in August saw billions of dollars in foreign aid that had kept the economy afloat switched off. More than $9 billion in central bank reserves held in the US, were frozen outside the country.
No country has formally recognized the Taliban. The group has backtracked on pledges of political inclusivity in its government and side-lined women and minorities.
But with the harsh Afghan winter approaching, many countries have realised they may need to coordinate with the Taliban to prevent the impoverished country from plunging further into catastrophe.
Blinken praised Qatar for its crucial role in assisting the airlift of more than 124,000 people from Afghanistan in August, half of whom transited through Qatar.
Qatar will continue to host up to 8,000 Afghans who have applied for entry to the US and their eligible family members at the US’s Army Camp As Sayliyah and Al Udeid Air Base, a State Department official told the Reuters news service.
Qatar has facilitated and continues to support additional flights “enabling hundreds of US citizens and thousands of others to leave the country,” Blinken said.
“On that note, I can confirm that as of November 10, all US citizens who have requested assistance from the United States government to depart Afghanistan, and who we’ve identified as prepared to depart and having the necessary travel documents, have been offered an opportunity to do so,” Blinken said.
“That includes more than 300 American citizens and more than 280 legal permanent residents whose departure we have already facilitated,” he said.
Blinken acknowledged there are Americans who have remained in Afghanistan because they have family there or do not want to leave. Some change their minds about leaving, he said.
“This is an effort that will continue. It’s also a picture that changes on a regular basis,” he said.
The issue of Americans being left behind in Afghanistan is a sensitive one for the administration of President Joe Biden who has been criticised in the US for the chaotic withdrawal.