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Zarif: Wrong policies adopted by foreign powers behind Afghanistan’s plight

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (1st L) and UN secretary general’s special envoy on Afghanistan and Regional Issues Jean Arnault (R) meet in Tehran on August 8, 2021. (Photo by IRNA)

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the root cause of the current catastrophic situation in Afghanistan is the wrong policies adopted by the foreign powers that interfere in that country’s internal affairs.

Zarif made the remarks in a Sunday meeting with the UN secretary general’s special envoy on Afghanistan and Regional Issues, Jean Arnault, who is currently in Tehran to discuss the ongoing situation in the war-ravaged country with high-ranking Iranian officials.

Referring to the perilous situation in Afghanistan and increasing complexity of conditions there, Zarif said erroneous policies adopted by foreign powers are among the most important factor creating the present conditions in the country.

“The international community must take an unequivocal stance in support of the political settlement for the crisis in Afghanistan and also condemn violence and its consequences,” the top Iranian diplomat said.

He expressed Iran’s readiness to help and facilitate intra-Afghan talks to promote peace in the war-ravaged country, saying the ongoing issues would only be solved through negotiations among warring sides.

Iran envoy, senior Afghan official discuss latest developments

In a phone call on Sunday, Iran's special envoy for Afghanistan, Mohammad Ebrahim Taherian, and head of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah, discussed the latest developments in the war-hit country, the peace process, and the intra-Afghan talks.

Abdullah commended Iran’s principled stances on the need for facilitating the peace process in Afghanistan, calling on Tehran to continue its support in this regard.

Iran's special envoy for Afghanistan, Mohammad Ebrahim Taherian (R), and the UN secretary general’s special envoy on Afghanistan and Regional Issues, Jean Arnault, meet in Tehran on August 8, 2021. (Photo by IRNA)

In a separate meeting in Tehran on Sunday, Taherian and Arnault exchanged views about the ongoing issues in Afghanistan.

In a statement on Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry urged all warring sides in Afghanistan to end the conflict and settle their dispute through negotiation.

In July, Tehran hosted intra-Afghan talks between senior Taliban negotiators and officials from the Afghan government.

Opening the talks, the Iranian foreign minister said the Islamic Republic stands ready to help the neighboring country resolve its conflicts and achieve lasting peace.

During the Sunday meeting, the UN envoy said Iran and other regional countries play a leading role in promoting peace in Afghanistan.

Arnault said no single country or a group of limited countries would be able to solve the existing issues in Afghanistan and added that only collective cooperation can prevent further escalation of the situation.

He emphasized that intra-Afghan talks are the sole solution to problems in Afghanistan and said he held important and effective talks in Tehran.

Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani said earlier this month that Kabul has a plan to restore stability in the country in six months despite the fast-deteriorating security situation.

“The current situation is due to a sudden decision on the withdrawal of the international troops,” Ghani told the parliament.

Violence particularly surged across Afghanistan after the United States failed to meet a May 1 deadline for a complete withdrawal of its forces from the country under the US-Taliban deal.

The 2001 invasion of Afghanistan ousted the Taliban from power, but it worsened the security situation in the country. The campaign in Afghanistan, which has led to the longest war in US history, has left the nation “poor, aid-dependent, and conflict-affected,” according to the latest report submitted to the US Congress.

Washington has been blamed for the surge as it has failed to stabilize the security situation after two decades of war and occupation.

According to the US military sources, the Taliban now controls more than 200 of the country’s 419 district centers.


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