Gulf states call for calm in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were two of the only three countries to recognize the Taliban the last time the Islamist group ruled Afghanistan.
Gulf states are calling for peace and dialogue in Afghanistan after the Taliban seized control of the capital, Kabul, amid the US military withdrawal.
Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met with a Taliban delegation in Doha on Tuesday led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. Thani called for "protection of civilians," “national reconciliation” and a “peaceful transfer of power" during the meeting, according to a Qatari Foreign Ministry statement. Baradar, a co-founder of the Taliban, then flew to Kandahar, Afghanistan, for his public visit to the country in two decades.
The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry expressed “hope that Afghan parties will exert all efforts to achieve security, stability and development in Afghanistan,” referring to the country as “brotherly Afghanistan” in a Tuesday statement.
Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet also conveyed hope that Afghanistan would “stabilize” soon during a Tuesday meeting, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.
