Afghanistan to demand lifting of sanctions at UN meeting in Doha

By Bilal Guler

KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) - Afghanistan will ask for the lifting of sanctions and the development of relations at the UN meeting on Afghanistan, which starts Sunday in the Qatari capital Doha.

Interim administration chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid is leading the Afghan delegation for the meeting.

"The representatives of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan went to that country to participate in the Doha meeting. The delegation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan left for Kishor to participate in the Doha meeting," Mujahid wrote on X.

Mujahid answered journalists' questions at a news conference ahead of the delegation's departure for Doha.

He said that they are attending the meeting with the aim of "increasing interaction with all parties and solving problems" and that they do not harbor hostility towards any party.

Mujahid also invited the representatives of the countries participating in the meeting to Afghanistan in order to develop relations.

Stressing that they will bring up the solution to economic problems and the lifting of sanctions against their administration at the meeting, he called on the participating countries "not to leave Afghanistan alone in challenging issues."

Mujahid said they would not discuss issues concerning Afghanistan's internal affairs at the meeting.

Issues related to women are expected to be on the agenda of the UN meeting.

Suhail Shaheen, head of the Qatar office of Afghanistan's interim government, told Russian media that he hoped the meeting would help lift sanctions against Afghanistan.

The UN will hold its 3rd meeting on Afghanistan on June 30-July 1 in Doha, Qatar. Representatives of Afghanistan were not invited to the first meeting and they did not attend the second meeting despite being invited.

The Afghan government does not want human rights issues, notably women's rights to education and labor, to be raised at these meetings on the grounds that they "concern the internal affairs of the country."

Representatives from more than 25 countries and international organizations will take part in the meeting.

*Writing by Serdar Dincel from Istanbul