His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that Kabul Airport will be ready for international flights in a short period, noting that the repairs made at Kabul Airport have made it suitable for navigation. For his part, His Excellency Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs, stated that discussions with the US Secretaries of State and Defense focused on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, as well as the technical and operational aspects of Kabul International Airport after the American withdrawal.
This was stated during a joint press conference in Doha that included His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, His Excellency Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, and their American counterparts, Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin. The Foreign Minister mentioned that discussions with the American officials concentrated on evacuation operations from Afghanistan, emphasizing the importance of opening humanitarian corridors, and noted that around 58,000 individuals have been evacuated from Afghanistan via Qatar.
He called on the Taliban to facilitate the delivery of aid to Afghanistan, stressing the partnership between Doha and Washington in supporting security and stability in the region, while highlighting that the United States is Qatar's most important partner, a relationship that has existed for decades. The Foreign Minister expressed hope for a better future for Afghanistan and the establishment of an effective participatory government.
Regarding the situation at Kabul Airport, the Foreign Minister mentioned that it will be ready for international flights soon, pointing out that the repairs made at the airport have rendered it suitable for navigation, and added that it requires an agreement to operate.
The American Secretaries of State and Defense praised Qatar's support for evacuation operations from Afghanistan and reaffirmed the partnership between Doha and Washington in supporting security and stability in the region. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicated that the United States will continue its diplomatic efforts regarding Afghanistan and recognizes that Qatar will be its partner, emphasizing that the relationship between Washington and Qatar is strong and that the contributions made during the evacuation operations will not be forgotten.
He clarified that his country's relations with Qatar are deeper than ever before and stated that the US’s diplomatic operations being moved from Kabul to Doha is not coincidental, expressing deep gratitude to Qatar for its efforts during the evacuation and commending Qatar and Turkey's efforts in reactivating Kabul Airport. He noted that in addition to responding to evacuation operations, Qatar has provided significant medical support that has helped save lives, saying, "What Qatar has done will be remembered for a long time, and on behalf of the American people, I thank you sincerely."
Blinken announced their communication with the Taliban in recent hours, where the group indicated the possibility of departure for those holding travel documents, noting that around 100 American passport holders remain in Afghanistan.
In the same context, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin reiterated that Qatar has contributed to saving thousands of lives and that Washington would not have achieved the evacuation from Afghanistan without it. He stated that the United States completed its largest evacuation operation in history, which included the evacuation of more than 124,000 individuals from Afghanistan, expressing thanks to Qatar for its support and assistance.
