Jaishankar meets Qatari NSA on way to Kuwait

External affairs minister S Jaishankar met the Qatari National Security Adviser during a stopover in Doha while on his way to Kuwait on Wednesday, with the meeting coming against the backdrop of separate interactions in Qatar involving US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban negotiators. There was no prior announcement about the foreign minister’s transit halt in Qatar, which has played a crucial role in US-Taliban negotiations in recent years, and no official word from both countries on the meeting between Jaishankar and NSA Mohamed Bin Ahmed Al Mesned.

The only details about the meeting emerged in a tweet from Jaishankar: “A pleasure to meet Qatari NSA Mohamed Bin Ahmed Al Mesned. Appreciate his insights on developments in the region and beyond. Thanked him for the support and solidarity in India’s fight against Covid.”

Jaishankar embarked on a three-day visit to Kuwait on Wednesday, carrying a message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah on ways to boost bilateral ties. He is scheduled to travel from Kuwait to Kenya.