Regional special envoys’ meeting kicks off in Tehran

KABUL (Pajhwok): Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has emphasised that security, development and prosperity in Afghanistan directly linked to the interests of all neighbouring countries.

He made the remarks at a regional meeting on Afghanistan of senior diplomats, which kicked off today (Sunday) in Tehran, the capital of Iran.

Special representatives for Afghanistan from several regional countries, including Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Russia, are attending the meeting, which is being hosted by Iran.

On Saturday, Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), told Pajhwok Afghan News that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) had been invited to the Tehran meeting but would not participate.

Explaining the reasons for non-participation, he said that the IEA maintains continuous and active ties with all regional countries through regional organisations, formats and bilateral mechanisms and achieved significant practical progress in promoting regional understanding and cooperation.

In his opening remarks to the huddle, Araghchi said that Afghanistan possesses unique capacities and has historically served as a bridge between surrounding regions, holding vast potential in economic, human, transit, and natural resources, the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) reported.

He added: “Afghanistan’s geoeconomic position places it at the centre of connectivity networks linking Central Asia, West Asia and South Asia. Therefore, Afghanistan’s stability and development are not only a humanitarian necessity, but also a strategic imperative for the entire region.”

The Iranian foreign minister stressed that experience over recent decades has clearly shown that security, development, and prosperity in Afghanistan are directly tied to the interests of all neighbouring countries.

“Thus, it is not an exaggeration to say, as the Persian-speaking Pakistani poet Allama Muhammad Iqbal once did, that the shared future of our region is inseparably linked to Afghanistan’s future,” he said.

He noted that Iran has consistently emphasised the comprehensive integration of Afghanistan into the region.

“We remain committed to the principle that regional developments and challenges can only be managed through constructive dialogue, the active participation of all countries, full respect for mutual principles, and the use of indigenous mechanisms and sustainable cooperation among regional states,” he concluded.

kk/ma