TEHRAN — Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, announced a new initiative granting border provinces greater autonomy in managing diplomatic relations with neighboring countries and addressing cross-border challenges.
According to the state-run IRNA news agency, the plan will task these provinces with resolving border disputes, curbing smuggling, and overseeing the movement of goods and travelers independently.
“A new concept, known as provincial diplomacy, has been introduced at the Foreign Ministry,” Araghchi said. “We intend for all provinces sharing borders with neighboring countries to establish diplomatic exchanges and interactions with adjacent provinces across the border.”
The foreign minister also revealed that a regional Foreign Ministry seminar is scheduled to take place in Mashhad after Ramadan. The event will bring together Iranian ambassadors and consuls general from neighboring countries, including Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.
Araghchi added that similar seminars will be held in four border provinces across Iran, a move that he said has been welcomed by President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Iran has long expressed concerns over drug and human trafficking along its border with Afghanistan. Iranian officials have repeatedly advocated for the construction of barriers to bolster border security and curb the flow of illicit substances into the country.
