Iran capital hosting second meeting of Afghanistan’s six neighbors

Top diplomats from Afghanistan’s six neighboring countries plus Russia are attending a conference in Tehran with the goal of coordinating efforts to help restore peace and stability to the South Asian state.

The foreign ministers of Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as the Russian and Chinese ambassadors attended the meeting — the second of its kind — at the Iranian Foreign Ministry in Tehran on Wednesday.

The foreign ministers of Russia and China are also expected to attend the meeting online.

Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber will deliver a speech at the gathering.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said the summit would focus on the new situation in Afghanistan, expressing hope that it will send a common message with a united voice to the international community, regional countries and Afghanistan.

“We believe that in the first place, all neighbors and in parallel the international community should pay special attention to the political and humanitarian situation, along with the spread of terrorism, drug trafficking, and the situation of human rights and women in Afghanistan,” he said.

Amir-Abdollahian also noted that the responsibility for the security of Afghan citizens and borders with neighbors lies primarily with the interim government in Kabul.

“Respect for other countries’ sovereignty, preservation of their territorial integrity and non-interference in their affairs are among the basic principles of the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy,” he said.

“If a strong message is being sent today from the Tehran meeting for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan, it is because of attention to the history and the role of the Afghan people in countering the occupation and the challenges of recent decades.”

ME