On Saturday, Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban’s spokesperson, announced in a press conference that the group will participate in the third Doha meeting to "engage with all parties and resolve issues”.
Mujahid also urged countries not to leave Afghanistan alone.
The third Doha meeting is scheduled to be hosted by the United Nations on June 30 and July 1. Special representatives of various countries for Afghanistan will attend the meeting.
Mujahid is set to lead a delegation representing the Taliban at this meeting.
Regarding the Taliban's policies and stance, Mujahid stated, "We want to resolve issues related to positive and constructive engagement with the United Nations, involved countries, and all countries of the world to find a unified path for improving the economic situation and achieving comprehensive stability."
The Doha meeting on Afghanistan is being held amidst criticism that the United Nations and the stakeholders involved in this meeting have succumbed to the Taliban's conditions regarding protocols, agenda, and participants.
Nasir Ahmad Andisha, Afghanistan's representative to the UN Human Rights Council, criticised the arrangement and organisation of the third Doha meeting according to the Taliban's wishes, stating that all actors are present except for the Afghan people, Taliban opponents, women, civil society, and young forces.
Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Afghanistan, wrote in an article in the New York Times that the Taliban should not be allowed to use the threat of non-participation in negotiations to dictate their terms.
Bennett warned that if women were excluded from the Doha meeting due to the Taliban's presence, the cost would be very high.
