Iran to host regional meeting on Afghanistan, Taliban not invited

Oct 24, 2021

Tehran [Iran], October 24 : Iran will be hosting a regional meeting on Afghanistan on Wednesday without the participation of the Taliban.
The new Taliban government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has not been invited to the meeting, reported Tolo News.
"We are aware that the meeting will be held. The meeting relates to neighbours, and we are not invited," said Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid.
The ministerial meeting with Afghanistan's neighbouring countries will mainly focus on topics of peace and stability and an inclusive government in the war-torn nation, reported Tolo News.
The Iranian embassy in Kabul released a statement and said that the formation of an inclusive government, peace and stability, economic challenges, and preventing Afghanistan from becoming a haven for terrorists, will be discussed in the meeting.
The foreign ministers and political representatives of Pakistan, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Russia will gather to discuss the formation of an inclusive government and other Afghan issues, reported Tolo News.
"The meetings (held previously and in Iran meeting) will affect Afghanistan's situation positively or negatively; in any event, it is a window of hope that the Iran meeting will discuss and analyze a range of issues," said Hafizurahman Naqi, a member of the Hizb-e-Islami party.
Since the collapse of the previous government, it is the second regional meeting to be held in Afghanistan.
In the meantime, the acting Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate, Amir Khan Mutaqi, met Iranian ambassador Bahadur Aminian, the ministry of foreign affairs said and the two sides discussed multiple issues including political and economic relations and as well as immigrants' problems in Iran, reported Tolo News.