Iran Renews Call for Formation of Inclusive Afghan Government
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Reiterating the need for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan, the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson called on the Taliban to combat the threat that terrorist groups pose to the neighboring countries.
In comments at a press conference on Monday, Saeed Khatibzadeh said Iran maintains a policy on Afghanistan that is based on the realities on the ground in the neighboring country and on Tehran’s foreign policy principles.
Pointing to the reciprocal visits and ordinary meetings between Iranian and Afghan officials, the spokesman reminded the Taliban, as the caretaker government in Afghanistan, of its definite responsibility to ensure security in Afghanistan and make sure that terrorist groups would not pose any threat to the neighbors.
He also emphasized the need for the Taliban to push for the formation of an inclusive and broad-based government in Afghanistan.
“This is our stance which has been pursued in the past months. We are serious about (the fate of) all people of Afghanistan, including all ethnicities and groups, and are worried about their conditions,” Khatibzadeh noted.
Afghanistan has been in turmoil since the Taliban, who had previously ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, took power again on August 15 last year amid a chaotic US troop withdrawal from the war-torn country.
Since then, the country has been the scene of recurrent terrorist attacks, some of which have been claimed by the Daesh terrorist group.