Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has underlined the need to support regional initiatives designed to settle challenges in Afghanistan.
During a meeting with Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s special representative on Afghanistan Affairs, in Tehran on Tuesday, Amir-Abdollahian highlighted the influential role of Iran and Pakistan in developments in Afghanistan and the entire region.
The top Iranian diplomat further expressed hope that continued consultations between Tehran and Islamabad will enhance peace in the region, especially in Afghanistan.
He stressed the need for supporting “regional initiatives” developed by Afghanistan’s neighbors to help resolve challenges gripping the Central Asian country.
Durrani, for his part, expressed satisfaction with his talks with the Iranian foreign minister.
Presenting an assessment of Afghanistan’s political and security conditions, the Pakistani envoy said his country is resolved to cooperate with the Islamic Republic in a bid to help establish peace and stability in Afghanistan.
The Taliban, who had previously ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, took power again in August 2021 as the US was in the middle of a chaotic troop withdrawal.
Following the Taliban’s takeover, the US and its allies rushed to cut off Afghanistan’s access to international aid and froze assets belonging to the country’s central bank.
The International Monetary Fund and World Bank followed suit, compounding one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises in Afghanistan and sparking a new refugee wave.
The Taliban has failed to form an inclusive government that accurately reflects Afghanistan’ multi-ethnic society and protects the rights of all people.
