Iran's Foreign Minister Says Country's Interests Are Linked To Afghanistan's Issues

After his visit to Kabul, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Iran's national interests are tied to many Afghan issues.

Araghchi added that given the challenges in Afghanistan, dialogue and interaction with the Taliban are necessary.

Abbas Araghchi had travelled to Kabul on Sunday morning, January 26, along with a political and economic delegation, and met with the Taliban's prime minister, foreign, and defence ministers.

This was the first visit of the Islamic Republic's foreign minister to Kabul since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021.

In a meeting with Taliban officials, Araghchi stressed that a new chapter in relations between the Islamic Republic and Afghanistan will begin.

After his visit to Kabul, Abbas Araghchi called the Persian speakers rights, border security, security inside Afghanistan, security of Shiites, security of merchants, narcotics, terrorist groups and ISIS "very important challenges".

The Islamic Republic's domestic media reported on Wednesday, January 29, that Abbas Araghchi told reporters on the sidelines of the cabinet meeting, "Our national interests are tied to these issues, and it is natural that we should have dialogue and interaction."

The Foreign Minister added that regardless of the level of Iran's relations with Afghanistan politically and whether the necessary identification has been made or not, resolving these issues through dialogue and diplomacy is a necessity.

The Jomhouri-e Eslami newspaper, however, criticised Araghchi's visit to Afghanistan, calling the Taliban a "backward" group. The newspaper referred to the Taliban as a "rebellious, violent, and backward" group that lacks domestic legitimacy and acceptance.

Amid the criticism, the Islamic Republic's ambassador to Afghanistan announced that Abbas Araghchi's visit to Kabul does not mean recognition of the Taliban government.