Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei says his country shares nearly 2,000 kilometres of common border with Afghanistan and Pakistan and any tension between the two neighbours affects Tehran.
He made these remarks at a press conference today (Sunday), Tasnim News Agency reported.
He said that neighbourhood environment was very important for Iran.
He said: “For us, the neighbourhood environment is extremely important. Security in the east of the country is key and we have about 2,000 kilometres of shared border with Afghanistan and Pakistan. Any tension between the two countries affects us.”
Referring to the meeting of regional countries’ special envoys on Afghanistan in Tehran, he said: “This meeting is the result of consultations held over the past few weeks, as well as talks we had with both Afghanistan and Pakistan. The format of this meeting is similar to previous ones that had been established. For about two years, this meeting had not been held. It is being convened at the level of special representatives on Afghanistan, with the participation of the special envoys of Russia and Uzbekistan as well.”
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman added that Afghanistan was also invited to attend the meeting and its participation could have helped resolve some issues, but Iran respects Afghanistan’s decision not to take part.
In response to a question about whether the recent tensions between Kabul and Islamabad would be discussed at the meeting, he said: “Naturally, in such a meeting, countries raise their own points. However, the goal of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to use this meeting and the discussions held to help build regional consensus and find solutions that contribute to strengthening stability and security in the surrounding environment and among regional countries.”
He noted: “We believe that resolving issues related to Afghanistan is possible through dialogue and engagement. Holding this meeting in Tehran reflects our belief that we should help strengthen stability and security.”
A meeting of regional countries’ special envoys on Afghanistan, with the participation of special representatives for Afghanistan from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China and Russia, kicked off today (Sunday), hosted by Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A day earlier, Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), told Pajhwok Afghan News that the Afghan government had been invited to the Tehran meeting, but would not participate.
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