The Iranian Embassy in Kabul, in a statement on Saturday, announced Tehran’s support to the Republic of Afghanistan and its constitution.
‘”Iran’s principled policy towards Afghanistan is based on supporting the achievements of the country in the last two decades, and accordingly, the Islamic Republic of Iran strongly backs holding presidential elections in Afghanistan,” the embassy said.
“After the elections, Iran did its best to resolve issues among political rivals and establish a common understanding among them,” it added.
An Iranian delegation, headed by Ebrahim Taherianfard, the representative of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, traveled to Afghanistan on Thursday.
Referring to the trip, the embassy noted that the trip comes while Afghan peace talks are underway. The delegation held meetings with senior Afghan officials, including the Afghan President, the former president, the acting minister of foreign affairs, the national security adviser, and some other prominent political figures of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
“In all these meetings, the unity among the Afghan political forces to protect the named achievements and to protect the fundamental rights of the people of this country as well as the effective and peaceful coexistence among them in the future were emphasized.”
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araghchi had also made a trip to Afghanistan in mid-July to follow up on the agreements already reached during a meeting to Tehran by Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Hanif Atmar, especially to finalize the text of a comprehensive cooperation document between the two countries.
Speaking at a meeting on the ‘Prospect of Iran-Afghanistan Ties; Challenges and Opportunities’, held in Kabul, Araqchi said various Afghan groups, such as the Taliban, should take part in the process of peace in Afghanistan.
“The Taliban are a reality in Afghanistan, and the peace negotiations should be held within the framework of this country’s Constitution and government in a calm and peaceful atmosphere,” he added.
The deputy minister also emphasized that Iran would by no means interfere in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, saying the Afghan nation and government should make the final decision about their fate.
Iran and Afghanistan will never participate in any coalition, union or alliance with a third country against each other, Araghchi added, saying the agreement -to be signed by the presidents after finalization- will entail cooperation in the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking.
“We consider only the incumbent government of Afghanistan to be legitimate. As mentioned before, the peace process in Afghanistan should take the path of inclusive participation of various groups in Afghanistan,” he added.
