Afghanistan and Qatar have signalled interest in expanding cooperation in investment and agriculture during talks in Doha, as Afghanistan’s defence chief attended a major regional defence exhibition.
Mohammad Suhail Shaheen, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Qatar, met Faisal bin Abdullah Al-Hanzab, the special envoy of Qatar’s foreign minister, to discuss bilateral relations and economic cooperation, according to a statement from the Afghan embassy.
The talks focused on investment opportunities in Afghanistan and the modernisation of the agricultural sector. Trade, tourism and other areas of mutual interest were also discussed.
The embassy said both sides "emphasised further strengthening cooperation" in these fields.
The diplomatic engagement coincided with a visit to Doha by Mohammad Fasihuddin Fitrat, chief of staff of Afghanistan’s armed forces, who attended the opening of the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX 2026).
Afghanistan’s defence ministry said Fitrat travelled to Doha on Sunday on an official visit to take part in the exhibition, where he was expected to engage with defence representatives from various countries and observe the latest developments in maritime and defence technology.
DIMDEX 2026 is being held from 19 to 22 January under the patronage of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and is organised by the Qatar Armed Forces.
Qatar’s government has said the ninth edition reflects the country’s "ongoing commitment to supporting the pillars of global security and stability".
Qatar hosted the Taliban political office for several years and facilitated talks between the group and the United States, which led to the signing of a withdrawal agreement in February 2020.
While Doha has not formally recognised the Taliban administration, it has accepted Suhail Shaheen as Afghanistan’s ambassador.
The meeting highlighted the gradual deepening of engagement between Afghanistan and Qatar, with both sides indicating an interest in building on existing diplomatic channels to advance cooperation in economic, agricultural and trade-related sectors.
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At least 42 people have been killed and 104 wounded in fighting between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on Tuesday. The latest death toll figures come as fighting between the two neighbours enters its sixth day.
Protests broke out in Pakistan and Iraq on Sunday after Iranian state media confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in joint U.S.–Israeli strikes. At least nine people were reported dead in clashes near the U.S. consulate in Karachi.
Afghanistan said it had fired at Pakistani aircraft over Kabul after explosions and gunfire rocked the capital early on Sunday, marking a sharp escalation in fighting between the two neighbours.
Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers said on Friday (27 February) they were ready to negotiate after Pakistan bombed their forces in several Afghan cities, including Kabul and Kandahar, and Islamabad declared the neighbours were now in "open war".
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday following an Iranian drone strike, an industry source told Reuters as Tehran retaliated across the Gulf after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets over the weekend.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars "forever"; in a social media post late on Monday. The remarks came hours before conflict in Iran and the Middle East entered its fourth day.
Türkiye raised its security level for Turkish-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz to Level 3 on Sunday (2 March). The development follows Iranian restrictions on shipping after U.S. and Israeli strikes and confirmation of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov following recent military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on targets in Iran, as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.
Strikes across the Middle East are intensifying, fuelling travel disruption, driving up global energy prices and forcing diplomatic missions to shut their doors.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States has a “virtually unlimited supply” of munitions and is capable of sustaining military action indefinitely, as the conflict with Iran entered its fourth day.
The United Nations has called for an investigation into a deadly attack on a girls’ primary school in Iran, which Iranian officials say has killed more than 100 children. The U.S. has said its forces “would not” deliberately target a school.
U.S. first lady, Melania Trump chaired a UN Security Council meeting on children and education in conflict on Monday (2 March), a move criticised by Iran as hypocritical following U.S. and Israeli strikes that triggered a UN warning about risks to children.
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