KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Two-day meetings of United Nations-backed Doha Process working groups on private sector support and counter-narcotics began this week in the Uzbek city of Termez, the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.
The talks, scheduled to conclude on Thursday, bring together a Taliban delegation, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), representatives of Doha Process member countries including host Uzbekistan, international organizations, private sector delegates and specialists, according to a ministry statement.
Discussions focus on standards, certification and preparations for exporting Afghan agricultural products, as well as alternative livelihoods and inclusive economic growth, the ministry said.
Participants are also exchanging views on ways to strengthen Afghanistan’s private sector, improve access to international markets and identify practical areas for cooperation, the ministry added.
The Doha Process is a United Nations-led initiative launched in May 2023 with a meeting of special envoys in Qatar to coordinate international engagement with the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan. The working groups on counter-narcotics and private sector support were established following the third meeting of special envoys, held in Doha in June and July 2024.
The groups are tasked with reviewing the Taliban’s commitments to combating narcotics and the international community’s commitments to supporting Afghanistan’s private sector and promoting alternative crops and livelihoods for farmers.
Previous meetings of the two working groups were held in Doha, Qatar and Kabul.
