Japan Backs Doha Process as Most Effective Framework for Afghanistan

DID Press: Japanese ambassador in Kabul emphasized that the Doha Process, with its wide range of participants, is the most effective mechanism for bringing Afghanistan closer to the international community. Tokyo has pledged to continue active and sustained support for this process.

Kenichi Masamoto, Japan’s ambassador to Kabul, described the Doha Process as one of the most efficient international frameworks to address Afghanistan’s challenges and stated that Japan is determined to maintain an active role in this initiative.

In remarks to the media, Masamoto noted that no other mechanism has achieved effective coordination between Afghanistan and the global community to the extent that the Doha Process has.

According to the ambassador, the participation of a diverse set of actors, including representatives of the Taliban administration, enhances the process’s capacity to foster constructive engagement.

Masamoto highlighted that the primary political goal of the Doha Process is to restore Afghanistan to a path of positive and sustainable interaction with the world, a goal crucial not only for the Afghan people but also for the Taliban administration, regional countries, and the international community.

He further said that Japan, in coordination with other countries, is taking targeted steps to build mutual trust and facilitate constructive engagement in specific areas.

The third Doha conference on Afghanistan, held on June 4, 2024, brought together special representatives from over 25 countries and a Taliban delegation. Key discussions included global coordination on engagement with the Taliban, women’s and girls’ rights, drug control, private sector development, and strategies for reintegrating Afghanistan into constructive international engagement.

At the same time, some countries stressed the importance of including Afghan civil society in the process, citing its absence as a notable weakness of the meeting.