RASC News Agency: The U.S. State Department has announced that Thomas West and Rina Amiri, Washington’s special representatives for Afghanistan, will attend the third round of the Doha meeting. On Wednesday, June 26, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated in a press briefing that Thomas West, the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, and Rina Amiri, the U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistani Women, will participate in the upcoming Doha meeting.
Miller added that both representatives agreed to participate after ensuring meaningful engagement with Afghanistani women and civil society at the meeting. Previously, Rina Amiri had emphasized that any meeting held without the inclusion of women would not be beneficial. The State Department spokesperson underscored that the U.S. will exert pressure on the Taliban during this meeting to fulfill their commitments under the “Doha Agreement.”
Rina Amiri reiterated a day earlier that any discussions about Afghanistan’s future without the involvement of women would not guarantee a solution or stability for the country. The exclusion of women from the agenda of this meeting has already sparked severe criticism from human rights organizations and activists. The third round of the Doha meeting, set to take place in Qatar in three days, will feature the Taliban and special representatives from 27 countries discussing Afghanistan.
Notably, Afghanistani women have called for a boycott of the meeting and have launched a campaign on social media in response. The Taliban will also participate in the meeting, with Zabihullah Mujahid, the group’s spokesperson, leading their delegation. It has been reported that he has been appointed to head the delegation by the group’s leader.
