Qatar

​In a new policy brief on the importance of a neighborly concert for Afghan peace, Kristian Berg Harpviken examines the present state of affairs in each of the main regions surrounding Afghanistan: Central Asia, South Asia and the Gulf. Qatar, having hosted the intra-Afghan peace talks, currently stands out as the winner, not only because it hosted a high-profile peace process, but also because it has been able to use its relevance to the US in managing the diplomatic offensive of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries over the past several years.

​PRIO in collaboration with the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies at the Doha Institute held a research workshop in Oslo on 11 May 2017 to explore potential complementarities between Norway and Qatar as third-party mediators. Examining recent experiences and lessons learned, the participants identified a range of opportunities for mutual knowledge exchange and capacity strengthening as well as possibilities for closer cooperation in mediation.