TEHRAN -- Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif says the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to play an effective role in restoring stability to Afghanistan.
He made the remarks in a meeting with his Afghan counterpart Muhammad Hanif Atmar on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey on Friday.
Zarif stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation among all political groups in Afghanistan to restore stable security in the country.
He expressed Iran’s readiness to hold a session of the two countries’ joint economic commission as soon as possible.
Atmar, for his part, thanked Iran for dispatching medical and health assistance to Afghanistan and called for the continuation of such an interaction, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Afghan foreign minister pointed to the latest security situation in his country and said Kabul is ready to cooperate with Tehran to improve border security and hold a session of the joint commission at the earliest.
Violence has surged across Afghanistan since the United States missed a withdrawal deadline it had agreed with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, last year.
All foreign troops were supposed to have been withdrawn by May 1, but U.S. President Joe Biden pushed that date back to September 11. The decision caused intra-Afghan peace talks — between the Taliban and Kabul — to be suspended.
The Taliban warned that the passing of the May 1 deadline for a complete withdrawal “opened the way for” the militants to take every counteraction they deemed appropriate against foreign forces in the country.
Fighting is now raging in 26 of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan.
A wave of assassinations has also hit the nation, many of them targeting government employees, health workers, media and civil society members.
Earlier in the day, the Iranian foreign minister held separate meetings with High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell as well as his Venezuelan and Croatian foreign ministers Jorge Arreaza and Gordan Grlić Radman, respectively.
Zarif also called for close cooperation between Tehran and Dushanbe in ensuring regional stability and preventing insecurity in neighboring Afghanistan.
In a meeting with his Tajik counterpart on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on Saturday, Zarif highlighted Iran’s resolve to broaden friendly ties with Tajikistan.
He also emphasized the necessity for cooperation between Iran and Tajikistan in the battle with the moves aimed at destabilizing the region.
It is necessary for Iran and Tajikistan to cooperate closely to prevent insecurity in Afghanistan, Zarif said.
He further expressed gratitude to Tajik President Emomali Rahmon for paving the way for the release of two Iranian nationals jailed in Tajikistan.
For his part, the senior Tajik diplomat hailed Iran’s valuable stances on regional developments, especially in Afghanistan.
Sirojiddin Muhriddin also stressed the need for collaboration between Tajikistan and Iran in the bilateral and regional spheres.
Foreign Minister of Pakistan Shah Mehmood Qureshi also met with his Iranian counterpart to discuss regional situation and bilateral ties.
“We shared positivity over trajectory of shared cooperation, including on MOU on border sustenance markets and opening of additional border crossing points,” Qureshi said in a statement.
He said there have been positive developments in Iran-Pakistan relations in various fields in recent years.
The foreign minister said MoU to open markets and additional border crossings on border will boost public relations.
“These measures will improve the living standards of the people of border areas by providing employment opportunities,” he said.
Qureshi briefed his Iranian counterpart on Pakistan’s position on the Afghan peace process and bilateral relations with Afghanistan.
Qureshi had paid an official visit to Iran in April this year.