Govt That Represents All Sects In Afghanistan Must Be Formed, Says Iranian President

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that a government that represents all ethnic, and religious groups must be formed in Afghanistan.

During a joint press conference with Emomali Rahmon, the president of Tajikistan in Dushanbe, Raisi said that Iran and Tajikistan share common concerns about the situation of the Afghan people.

The president of Iran called the US presence in Afghanistan for around two decades an “occupation” of the country and added, "The United States left nothing but destruction, and murder in Afghanistan."

Raisi added that as two neighbours, “We feel responsible towards the people of Afghanistan more than others.”

Addressing the press conference along with Raisi, the President of Tajikistan who continuously emphasised the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan over the past two years, said that Tajikistan, as a country that has experienced civil war, declares its support for the peaceful resolution of problems and conflicts through diplomacy and negotiations in Afghanistan.

The President of Iran visited Dushanbe city, the capital of Tajikistan, on Wednesday morning and met and spoke with Emmomali Rahmon, the President of Tajikistan, and Mahmadtohir Zokirzoda, the country’s chairman of the Assembly of Representatives.

According to the Iranian president’s office, in both meetings, the two sides discussed the situation in Afghanistan.

After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, several well-known figures of Afghanistan, including Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the National Resistance Front, have been stationed in Tajikistan. However, the authorities of this country have not officially confirmed the presence of these anti-Taliban figures.