Iran renews support for Afghan peace

According to The Iran Project, the 2nd meeting of Regional Contact Group on Afghanistan kicked off in Tehran on Saturday, June 8.

The meeting was attended by the representatives of Iran, China, Russia, and Pakistan.

The message of Iranian caretaker foreign minister, Ali Baqeri, was read in the event.

Highlighting Iran’s support for any initiative for peace, stability and development in Afghanistan, the diplomat said Iran has been actively involved in various events in this regard during the past three years, including the foreign ministerial meeting of the neighbors of Afghanistan and the Moscow format.

Reiterating the need for the Taliban to form an inclusive government in Afghanistan, Baqeri said the next Afghan government must be participated by various ethnic groups to pave the way for political stability and economic development in that country.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran expresses full support for the set of constructive initiatives guaranteeing peace, stability, national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, and believes that durable regional stability and security requires the United Nations to pay more attention to the humanitarian conditions in fulfilling its duties and responsibilities,” he added.

According to the UN, Iran is the world’s second largest refugee hosting country as it hosts over 1.1 million Afghans of varying status, including 360,000 Afghans with Iranian resident permits, 267,000 family passport holders and 500,000 undocumented Afghans.

In June 2022, Iran’s deputy interior minister for security and law enforcement estimated that there were around 4.5 million documented and illegal Afghans in Iran.

The takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban in 2021 triggered a huge influx of Afghans, many of whom have flocked to Iran, with which Afghanistan has 921 km of common land border.

Reporter : Editorial of The Iran Project