Iran Urges Regular Dialogue Among Afghanistan’s Neighbors at Tehran Conference
At the opening of a regional conference on Afghanistan in Tehran, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi emphasized the strategic necessity of establishing regular mechanisms for dialogue among Afghanistan’s neighboring countries. He described such efforts as key to reducing misunderstandings.
According to Araghchi, this type of meeting can pave the way for greater coordination on policy, economic initiatives, border management, and humanitarian cooperation, ultimately helping to lower tensions and strengthen regional collaboration.
The conference takes place amid ongoing tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, one of the central topics of discussion. However, no representatives from the Taliban administration were present. Earlier, Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry, had announced that despite a formal invitation, the group would not be attending the event.
Takal stated that the Taliban prefer to conduct relations with regional countries through established regional and bilateral mechanisms. Nonetheless, their continued absence from key regional forums raises questions about the effectiveness and transparency of this approach.
The Tehran meeting includes special envoys on Afghanistan from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Russia. Pakistani media reported that Islamabad’s delegation—consisting of the country’s special envoy on Afghanistan and its ambassadors to Kabul and Tehran—is participating to share its views, particularly focusing on security challenges facing the region.
A previous statement from Iran’s Foreign Ministry did not specify whether representatives from the Taliban administration would be attending, but stressed that the gathering was focused on Afghanistan and included special envoys from regional nations in Tehran.
