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Abdullah meets Iranian FM Zarif, discusses Afghan peace

By News Desk
October 19, 2020

KABUL: Abdullah Abdullah, the chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, traveled to Iran on Sunday and met with Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and discussed the Afghan peace process, Abdullah’s office confirmed.

In this meeting, Zarif said that a stable, developed and peaceful Afghanistan has been Iran’s constant hope, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said. “We will integrate all our efforts to help the real intra-Afghan negotiations,” Zarif said as quoted by his spokesman.

Abdullah meanwhile described Iran’s role important for the Afghan peace process and said it is one of the key trips. “Every country has an impact based on its capacity, and all are affected by the continuation of war in Afghanistan,” Abdullah said.

“The latest developments in the peace negotiations were discussed, including the points that have yet to be solved...The Islamic Republic of Iran announced their support for (Afghan) peace and stressed that they are in favor of a peace that is in favor of Afghans,” said Mujib Rahman Rahimi, head of media office of the High Council for National Reconciliation.

Abdullah visited Pakistan and India over the past two weeks as part of his efforts to build regional consensus on the Afghan peace process. “Afghanistan’s stability can have a direct impact on stability in Iran,” said Nasrullah Arsalayee, an advisor to the High Council for National Reconciliation. Iran has recently criticized the ongoing peace process, especially Washington’s role in the efforts.

Washington, however, has said that Tehran wants the US to be engaged in unwinnable war in Afghanistan. Abdullah said he met with Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and the two discussed the Afghan peace process and developments in the Doha talks. He added that Ghalibaf assured him of Majlis’s support for a lasting peace in Afghanistan.