Thomas West, the US special representative for Afghanistan, is meeting with a range of diplomats, civil society leaders and other stakeholders in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, this week in a trip to the region.
The US State Department said in a statement on Tuesday that West “is conducting outreach in the region to secure input as the international community seeks solutions to Afghanistan’s compounding challenges, made worse by the Taliban’s (IEA) recent decisions to limit women’s participation in humanitarian operations and ban them from their vital work for the UN.”
According to the statement, West will meet with Qatari colleagues, Afghan civil society leaders, and partner missions in Doha.
In the UAE, he will meet with Emirati counterparts, and Afghan business and thought leaders. In Istanbul, he will hold consultations with Afghan political leaders, journalists, humanitarian professionals and human rights activists.
West’s visit to the region kicked off on Tuesday and will run through to April 18.
