Two Taliban government officials went to Doha to participate in the Qatar International Defense Industry Exhibition
The Doha Defense Industry Exhibition, which is managed by the Ministry of Defense of Qatar, starts today and is expected to be attended by representatives from more than 90 countries.Qatari authorities have not said anything about the participation of the Taliban delegation in this exhibition, but two Taliban officials are participating in the Doha exhibition.The Ministry of Defense of the Taliban said in a newsletter that Moulvi Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, acting head of the ministry, and Qari Fasihuddin Fitrah, Chief of Staff of the Taliban government, will participate in the defense industry exhibition in Qatar.In this exhibition, the products and industries of 200 countries and military companies are displayed.It is expected that 32 major international contracts will be signed during this exhibition.Various military industries will be exhibited and 11 large warships will also be exhibited.In the announcement of the Ministry of Defense of the Taliban, it is not mentioned in which departments his delegation will participate and give a speech.According to the ministry, the Taliban delegation is expected to discuss strengthening bilateral relations with a number of Qatari officials.The Acting Minister of Defense of the Taliban went to Doha for the first time in July 2022, and at that time he met Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar.At that time, Qatar’s state news agency said that the Emir of Qatar emphasized the importance of working on stability in Afghanistan. Al-Thani still wanted to ensure the rights of Afghans.After this meeting, the Acting Minister of Defense of the Taliban said that he has asked the Qatari authorities for help in the field of salary payments, uniforms, technical equipment for border protection, vehicles and health matters.Among the countries in the region and the world, Qatar has a close relationship with the Taliban and has hosted their talks several times. The political office of the Taliban is also active in Doha, and Qatar has played the role of mediator in the talks between the Taliban and the West.Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Prime Minister of Qatar, went to Afghanistan in 2023 and during his trip to Kandahar Province, he met with Mullah Hebatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Taliban.Reuters news agency reports that the secret talks focused on smoothing the Taliban’s challenges with the world.The international community wants the Taliban to respect human rights, especially the rights of women and girls, and to open the gates of schools and universities to girls and women.Qatar held a meeting on Afghanistan on February 18 and 19. The United Nations hosted this meeting, but the Taliban did not participate in it.
