Withdrawal of foreign troops, inevitable prerequisite for Afghan peace, security: Iran

Iran has welcomed the launch of long-delayed direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban militant group in the Qatari capital of Doha, underlining the need for “responsible” withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan as an essential prerequisite for peace and security in the war-torn country.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has always emphasized that there is no military solution to the problems in Afghanistan, and rejected the continued presence of foreign forces as one of the main reasons behind the persistence of war in the country, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

“All issues and woes in Afghanistan can be resolved only through dialog and negotiations, and a responsible withdrawal of foreign forces is an inevitable prerequisite for achieving peace and security in that country,” it added.

The statement said that Iran welcomes the opening of intra-Afghan talks between the Kabul government, Afghan political groups and the Taliban, and hopes that the negotiations will be held "without any foreign interference and within the framework of a comprehensive agreement among the Afghans."

Iran also hopes that the intra-Afghan talks will lead to favorable results, including the establishment of sustainable peace and stability in Afghanistan as well as security in the region, it added.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran hopes that the [Afghan] government, political groups and the Taliban could reach a lasting agreement while safeguarding the valuable achievements of the Afghan people, including the Constitution, democratic structures, inclusive political participation, women's' the rights and dignity of women as well rights of ethnic and religious minorities,” the Foreign Ministry said.

It emphasized that such an agreement should ensure peace, tranquility, welfare and prosperity of the Afghan people and help the Afghan refugees return to their country and play their part in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan.

It once again expressed Iran's readiness to help promote the peace process in Afghanistan and to share its facilities and capabilities with the Afghan people to that end.

Iran "strongly condemns any political opportunism and profiteering from the intra-Afghan talks, particularly by the US government for electoral purposes and considers such moves to be disruptive to the talks,” the statement pointed out.

Representatives from the government in Kabul and those from the Taliban arrived in Doha on Saturday for the much-awaited intra-Afghan negotiations, which are also attended by politicians from Afghanistan, international organizations and the United States.

Intra-Afghan peace talks kick off in Qatar’s Doha

Long-delayed direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban militant group have started in the Qatari capital of Doha, as part of efforts aimed at ending two decades of war in the country.

The talks were held one day after the 19th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States that triggered the military invasion of Afghanistan by American troops.

The intra-Afghan talks were set to take place in March, but have repeatedly been delayed over a prisoner exchange agreement made as part of the United States-Taliban deal signed in February.

Under the deal with the US, the Taliban agreed to stop their attacks on foreign forces in return for the US military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and prisoner swap with the government.

The Afghan government was a party neither to the negotiations nor to the deal, but it has been acting in accordance with its terms, including by agreeing to free the Taliban prisoners.

Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani said on September 2 that the government has fulfilled all its commitments for peace negotiations with the Taliban.

President Ghani says Afghan government fulfilled all commitments for Taliban peace talks

‘The release of Taliban prisoners is a clear demonstration of the government

“The government has fulfilled all its commitments in the peace process that the international community had hoped for,” the president said at a meeting with a team of government-backed negotiators at the presidential palace.

The deal envisages a complete withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, and the Taliban have pledged not to attack American and other foreign forces. 

Washington invaded Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban-run government in 2001 on the pretext of fighting terrorism following the September 11 attacks in New York.

Afghanistan has been gripped by insecurity since the US and its allies invaded the country as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. Many parts of the country remain plagued by militancy despite the presence of foreign troops.

Read more: 

• Afghan government says almost all Taliban prisoners freed, ready for talks

• Six prisoners sought by Taliban head to Qatar on flight from Afghan capital: Sources

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