Iran backs intra-Afghan peace talks in Doha

DM Monitoring

TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expressed Iran’s support for the Afghan-led peace process for the nation in Doha, official news agency IRNA reported.
Zarif’s statement came in his meeting with Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation, in Iran’s capital Tehran.
Heading an official delegation, Abdullah arrived in Tehran on Sunday morning for a three-day visit and held a meeting at noon with the Iranian foreign minister.
During the meeting, Zarif reaffirmed Iran’s support for the Afghan government and the ongoing peace process, highlighting the importance of intra-Afghan talks being led by Afghans themselves.
The Iranian top diplomat also voiced Iran’s support for the agreements reached in the intra-Afghan talks.
For his part, Abdullah explained the latest developments in Afghanistan and in the dialogue process.
The intra-Afghan peace talks in Doha started in early September, months after the Taliban and the United States signed an agreement in the Qatari capital on Feb. 29 over the withdrawal of all U.S. and NATO forces to end the war in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Political Deputy Foreign Ministry appreciated strong position of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Afghanistan Peace Process. Speaking in a meeting of Joint Border Commission between Iran and Afghanistan, Mirwais Nab thanked Iran for its assistance and hosting Afghan refugees and praised Iran’s strong position in supporting peace process led by Afghan government.
Holding this meeting after seven years is a valuable step for the development and expansion of cooperation between the two countries, he emphasized. He then called on delegation of the two countries to reach a new and effective understanding in a friendly and positive ambience in the field of various cooperation along border.
In this meeting, Afghanistan Deputy Foreign Ministry called for discussing about regular working plan for modernizing border signs, renewing Border Agreement inked between Iran and Afghanistan as well as reopening of second bridge of Milak Border in Afghanistan’s Nimrouz.
Bahador Aminian Iran’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, for his part, expressed his satisfaction with organizing such meeting after years between the two countries and added, “I am confident that the two sides will achieve good results.”