Zarif Meets Taliban Delegation to Discuss Afghan Peace

EghtesadOnline: Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met with a Taliban delegation led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the head of the group’s Qatar-based political bureau, in Tehran on Tuesday.

News ID: ۷۴۹۰۶۶

30 November 2019

Zarif expressed Iran’s willingness to support dialogue between various Afghan parties with the participation of the Afghan government to help restore peace and stability to the neighboring war-ravaged country, IRNA reported.

The top Iranian diplomat stressed the need for the launch of Afghan-Afghan talks and the formation of an all-inclusive government.

“Tehran is ready to join efforts aimed at facilitating such a peace process that would be participated by Kabul and all influential Afghan political forces,” Financial Tribune quoted him as saying.

The Taliban have refused to talk to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s government, accusing it of being subservient to the United States.

Iranian diplomats also held talks with a Taliban delegation in September, a week after peace talks between the US and the insurgent group collapsed.

Iran said in December it had been meeting with Taliban representatives with the knowledge of the Afghan government, after reports of US-Taliban talks about a ceasefire and a possible withdrawal of foreign troops.