Iran confirms a meeting between Tehran’s special envoy for Afghanistan and a Taliban delegation in Qatar, saying the talks are aimed at promoting peace and security in the war-ravaged Afghanistan.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Mohammad Ebrahim Taherian, held talks with Taliban’s deputy political leader and the Qatari special representative for Afghanistan in Doha on Monday, the ministry’s Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said.
“Such meetings are taking place in line with efforts and consultations of the Islamic Republic of Iran to [facilitate] intra-Afghan talks with the purpose of establishing peace, stability and security in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,” the Iranian spokesperson said.
Earlier in the day, Taliban’s political office spokesman Suhail Shaheen said Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the head of Taliban’s Qatar-based political bureau, met with the Iranian envoy in Doha and discussed issues related to Afghan migrants besides the peace process in the country, the local TOLO News reported.
Baradar had paid a visit in November 2019 to Tehran, where he held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
During those talks, Zarif highlighted the need for the launch of Afghan-Afghan talks and the formation of an all-inclusive government in the neighboring country.
Earlier this month, Afghan’s acting Foreign Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar also visited Tehran and sat down for talks with senior officials, including Zarif.
The two sides issued a joint statement, calling for more cooperation between the two neighbors in various fields. They also stressed the need to reduce violence in Afghanistan with the aim of building trust and paving the way for the launch of intra-Afghan negotiations.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry had issued a statement in May, expressing readiness to help Kabul in the process of intra-Afghan political talks.
Tehran has laid emphasis on the need for all Afghan groupings to join negotiations — spearheaded by the government — towards resolving the country’s problems.
Violence runs rampant across Afghanistan despite the presence of thousands of foreign, mostly American, forces in the country.
Read more: