Qatar's Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Alya Ahmed Saif Al Thani met with the UN’s Under-Secretary General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo this week for talks on various issues including another Doha meeting on Afghanistan.

According to a statement issued by Qatar’s foreign ministry on Wednesday, the two diplomats “touched on the need to leverage the positive momentum created by the success of the third Doha Meeting of Special Envoys on Afghanistan and to build on its outcome in the fourth meeting to be held in Doha.”

Qatar did not however indicate when the next meeting would be held.

Al Thani and DiCarlo meanwhile discussed the results of the third Doha meeting, which took place on June 30 and July 1 this year.

Their meeting also addressed ways to bolster joint cooperation between the Qatar and the UN’s Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, as well as the latest developments in the Middle East.

Experts, meanwhile, believe that the Doha meetings have not yet yielded positive results.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesman for the Islamic Emirate government, led the Afghanistan government delegation to the last meeting.

This was the first time the IEA participated. They were not invited to the first meeting, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said they set unacceptable conditions for attending the second one in February.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board has finalized the squad for the upcoming Youth Tri-Nation Series against Pakistan and the UAE and for the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2024.

The Youth Tri-Nation Series, will be held from November 16 to 26 in the form of a double-round robin. The final match is scheduled for November 26 at the ICC Academy Cricket Ground in Dubai, UAE.

From there, the team will take part in the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup which is scheduled from November 29 to December 8. This will also be held in the UAE.

The Afghan team are pooled in Group B alongside Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

The squad announced Wednesday includes Naseer Khan Maroofkhil and AM Ghazanfar, both of whom represented Afghanistan in the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup 2024 in South Africa.

Afghanistan Cricket Board’s Interim Chief Selector, Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil said in a statement that the ACB’s “selection process started with a camp for the top-performing players from the recent age-level domestic events.

“This was followed by rigorous training and preparations in multiple phases, which helped us to finalize the final 18-man squad for the events ahead.”

He said the players have “undergone extensive training and shown great enthusiasm and readiness to perform at the international level,” and that the ACB is confident the team will do well in both the Tri-Series and the Asia Cup.

Afghanistan Squad for the Youth Tri-Nation Series and the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2024:

Mehboob Taskin (Captain & Wicket-Keeper), Hamza Alikhil (WK), Uzair Khan, Faisal Khan, Barakatullah Ibrahimzai, Ezatullah Barikzai, Aziz Miakhil, Nazeef Amiri, Abdul Aziz, Nasratullah Nooristani, Khatir Stanikzai, Fahim Khewawal, Hafeez Zadran, AM Ghazanfar and Naseer Khan Maroofkhil.

Reserves: Rohullah Arab, Wahidullah Zadran and Salam Khan.

The frequency of visits by Islamic Emirate officials to China has recently increased, reflecting growing cooperation between the two countries.

Delegations from Afghanistan's Ministries of Mines and Petroleum; and Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock recently attended conferences and meetings in China that were focused on different sectors.

One delegation, from the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, attended a conference aimed at enhancing China-Afghanistan mining cooperation, while representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture discussed strategies for poverty reduction and agricultural development with Chinese officials.

Abdul Latif Mansour, the acting Minister of Energy and Water, also traveled to Beijing to participate in an energy conference recently.

He reported that the visit yielded significant results, with Chinese officials pledging investment in Afghanistan’s energy production sector.

Additionally, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock visited China to share Afghanistan's vision at a conference on poverty reduction and agriculture development.

In a related meeting, Sadar Azam Osmani discussed potential Chinese investments in Afghanistan’s agricultural sector.

These visits highlight China’s increasing engagement with the Islamic Emirate, suggesting a shift from symbolic gestures to practical cooperation.

Chinese companies already hold major contracts in Afghanistan, including the extraction of oil from the Qashqari oil field and copper from the Mes Aynak mine in Logar province.

However, experts caution that delays have hindered progress in developing the Mes Aynak copper project.

China’s willingness to strengthen bilateral ties with the Islamic Emirate through economic and technical cooperation appears to exceed that of other nations, reflecting growing collaboration between the two sides.