By: The Kabul Times
KABUL: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the results of the Tehran meeting between a number of representatives of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban. “The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan appreciates any genuine action that leads to the realization of the legitimate aspirations of the people and the Government of Afghanistan to end the war, ensure lasting peace and preserve the achievements of the last twenty years, the MoFA statement said yesterday. “We appreciate the efforts of the Islamic Republic of Iran to advance the Afghan peace process and hope that these efforts will lead to an end to the violence and the start of serious negotiations aimed at ensuring lasting peace in the country,” the statement further said. The Taliban delegation and a group of Afghan politicians in Tehran agreed during their meetings on Wednesday and Thursday that war was not the solution to the Afghan problem and that “a peaceful solution should be sought,” said a joint declaration with six articles. The sides also agreed to hold talks in a “cordial atmosphere” on “issues that need further consultation and clarity, such as establishing a mechanism for the transition from war to lasting peace, and the agreed Islamic system and how to achieve it,” the declaration said. The two sides decried attacks targeting “people’s homes, schools, mosques, and hospitals, causing civilian casualties” and strongly condemned the destruction of public facilities and called for the perpetrators to be punished, it said. The two-day meeting between the Taliban delegation and a group of Afghan politicians was held on Wednesday and began with an opening speech by Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister.
