Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials on Friday met with Georgette Gagnon, the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan, and discussed preparations for the fourth round of the Doha meeting on Afghanistan.

However, the ministry’s statement did not mention a specific date for when the fourth Doha meeting would be held.

According to the statement, the meeting will be hosted by Qatar and held under the supervision of the United Nations.

Meanwhile, some experts expressed optimism about the Doha process, saying that Qatar’s support for a political solution in Afghanistan through the UN could be constructive.

Khalil Ahmad Nadim, a political expert, said: “Qatar plays a very important role because it acts as a protector of U.S. interests and serves as a bridge between the Islamic Emirate and other countries. Qatar is trying to facilitate the fourth meeting between the Taliban and the UN, which could benefit Afghanistan, as these talks might lead to an understanding with the Afghan government.”

Three previous rounds of the Doha meetings were also hosted by Qatar under the name of the “Doha Process,” in which special representatives from various countries and international organizations participated. The delegation of the IEA also attended the most recent meeting in this process.

Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) has announced the launch of a solar power generation project in Dehdadi district of Balkh province, with an investment of $28 million.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Balkh, DABS officials stated that upon completion, the project which is funded by the private sector will provide electricity to 40,000 households and 1,200 manufacturing factories in the province.

Abdul Bari Omar, CEO of DABS, said: “With the launch of this project, thousands of families, factories, commercial centers, religious sites, and government offices will receive reliable electricity, and hundreds of job opportunities will be created for young people.”

Despite Afghanistan’s capacity to produce electricity, the country still relies heavily on imported power.

At the ceremony, private sector representatives emphasized that if the government creates more favorable conditions for investors, investment in domestic electricity production will increase.

“We urge the government to ease regulations and establish a competitive and healthy investment environment,” said Asadullah Asadi, head of the Balkh Chamber of Commerce and Investment.

This solar power project is expected to be completed and operational within two years in Balkh.

Khubaib Ghufran, spokesman for the Ministry of Information and Culture, says the ministry has issued operating licenses to around 15 new media outlets over the past year in Afghanistan.

Marking World Press Freedom Day, Ghufran stated on Saturday that the Islamic Emirate supports media that operate in accordance with Islamic Sharia principles, respect cultural values and public beliefs, uphold privacy, and avoid inciting discord and prejudice.

He added that since IEA’s takeover, the Ministry of Information and Culture has been able to maintain “extensive” cooperation with the media in all areas.

According to him, IEA supports those media outlets in Afghanistan that broadcast responsibly.

These remarks come as Afghanistan ranked 175th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ‘s 2025 global press freedom index.