Tehran to host meeting on peace, security in Afghanistan today
Iran hosts a meeting today on peace and sustainable security in neighboring Afghanistan, which will be attended by different Afghan parties and international figures.
The meeting to be held on Tehran’s initiative, will kick off with an inaugural speech by Ali Akbar Velayati, who chairs the World Assembly of Islamic Awakening, according to Press TV.
Various Afghan and international groups and parties playing an active role in promoting peace in Afghanistan are scheduled to take part in the event.
It comes more than a week after Tehran hosted a round of intra-afghan talks attended by four delegations, including representatives of the Afghan government and parliament, the Taliban militant group and prominent figures supporting the republican system in the war-torn country.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told the delegates
that Tehran stands ready to help the neighboring country resolve its conflicts and achieve lasting peace.
In an address to the final session of intra-afghan talks, Zarif advised all political sides involved in the
ongoing crisis in Afghanistan to end the war as soon as possible and pave the way for the development of the war-ravaged country.
“A nation who has been suffering for 40 years has every right to be opposed to war. What I want from you is to seize this opportunity and end the war in Afghanistan as soon as possible to provide the people of Afghanistan with an opportunity for development,” Iran’s top diplomat said.
“The Islamic Republic is always ready to facilitate the continuation of your talks in any way you wish.”
Senior negotiators from Afghanistan’s government and the Taliban also met for fresh peace talks in the Qatari capital of Doha on Saturday as Taliban militants have escalated attacks on cities and villages and taken over a vast swath of the Afghan territory.
Foreign troops had been deployed in Afghanistan for nearly two decades following the Us-led military invasion of the country launched in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. The foreign forces have largely withdrawn from the country after Washington announced plans to pull out its forces by the end of next month.