Countries attending a regional meeting on Afghanistan in Tehran urged the Taliban and Pakistan to return to dialogue and resolve their differences through diplomatic channels, according to a statement issued on Monday.
Iran’s foreign ministry said in the statement that special envoys from Russia, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran supported efforts to reduce tensions between Taliban and Pakistan and expressed readiness to help strengthen those initiatives.
The participants also voiced concern over security threats emanating from Afghanistan and said they were prepared to assist the country in combating terrorism, drug trafficking and human smuggling, according to the statement.
They emphasised the need to strengthen stability in Afghanistan and boost regional cooperation to address shared challenges linked to the country, the ministry said. The envoys also called on the international community to lift sanctions on Afghanistan and release frozen Afghan assets.
The meeting rejected any foreign military presence in Afghanistan and said countries described as responsible for Afghanistan’s current situation should assist in reconstruction and economic recovery without using aid as political leverage.
Participants also urged international organisations to support the return of Afghan migrants from neighbouring countries and help ensure what they described as a dignified and sustainable reintegration process.
Iran’s foreign ministry said the envoys agreed that the fifth meeting of foreign ministers from Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries would be held as soon as possible in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan.
The Tehran meeting was held on Sunday. The Taliban were invited but declined to attend.
A source previously told Amu TV that the Taliban had objected to participating in the meeting if they were portrayed as supporters of terrorism and had also asked that Afghanistan not be described as being in “crisis.” Taliban officials have not publicly commented on the matter.
