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Tehran summit on Afghanistan underscores regional initiatives
Hassan Kazemi Qomi said special envoys from Iran, Pakistan, Russia, and China emphasized regional initiatives to bolster Afghanistan’s national security during a press conference after the meeting.
“The discussions in Tehran today focused on terrorism-related issues, assisting in security and border management, and finding solutions for migrants, who constitute nearly 30% of Afghanistan’s population,” he added.
Neighboring countries are actively pursuing regional cooperation to enhance Afghanistan’s security against terrorism and address human rights-related issues, the envoy said.
Kazemi Qomi stated that the meeting in Tehran was part of a series of regional and international discussions considering the sensitivity of the Afghanistan issue and events impacting its security and stability.
The Regional Contact Group on Afghanistan was established on Iran’s initiative in January to address concerns about the Central Asian country, he added.
“One of the concerns raised was the issue of terrorism, which affects both the people of Afghanistan and neighboring countries,” the Iranian official said, adding, “This indicates that terrorism was the focus of yesterday’s occupiers and today they are trying to stoke instability.”
Referring to the forthcoming Doha Summit in Qatar, Kazemi Qomi said the four countries of Iran, Russia, China and Pakistan addressed the concerns in Saturday’s meeting and highly recommended that the neighboring and regional countries also involve in the initiative.
The upcoming gathering, dubbed “Doha III,” will be the third in Qatar’s capital on the subject since UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres initiated the process with special envoys on Afghanistan to facilitate a coherent global approach to the Taliban-governed country grappling with severe humanitarian, economic, and human rights challenges.
The United Nations is finalizing the agenda for a crucial two-day international conference on Afghanistan scheduled for June 30-31, aiming for broad acceptance from all parties.