DM Monitoring
NEW YORK: Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Iran to the United Nations Majid Takht-Ravanchi said that Iran supports the Afghanistan peace talks and believes that its successful conclusion requires flexibility and patience by all sides, placing the interests of the people of Afghanistan above all other interests, Iranian media reported on Friday.
Addressing a meeting of the UN Security Council on Afghanistan, Takht Ravanchi added that Iran and Afghanistan enjoy common religious, cultural, linguistic and historical backgrounds and our stability, socio-cultural development and economic growth are intertwined and mutually reinforcing. As our President stated very recently, we consider Afghanistan’s stability as our own stability.
Afghanistan’s decades-long insecurity and instability can end only through a comprehensive and inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process, involving all Afghan factions, including the Taliban, supported by neighboring, regional and international partners, the ambassador said.
He said: “Iran and Afghanistan enjoy common religious, cultural, linguistic, and historical backgrounds, and our stability, socio-cultural development and economic growth are intertwined and mutually reinforcing. As our President stated very recently, we consider Afghanistan’s stability as our own stability.
Afghanistan’s decades-long insecurity and instability can end only through a comprehensive and inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process, involving all Afghan factions, including the Taliban, supported by neighboring, regional and international partners.
The peace process must preserve and promote the past achievements, particularly the present Constitution, the right of the people to self-determination through elections, the right of ethnic and religious minorities and women, as well as the commitment to combat terrorism.
However, as peace and violence cannot go hand in hand, to reciprocate the good will of Afghanistan’s Government in the peace talks, the Taliban must halt its attacks against Afghan defense and security forces.
