The ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Kabul has said that the visit of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Afghanistan does not mean recognition of the Taliban government.
Alireza Bekdeli said that recognition is a legal process based on international law and has its own characteristics.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with the Taliban's prime minister, foreign and defence ministers, as well as a number of Afghan businessmen, during his one-day visit to Kabul on Sunday. Araghchi is the first Iranian foreign minister to visit Taliban-ruled Afghanistan in the past three and a half years.
In these meetings, he emphasised that a new chapter in relations between Iran and Afghanistan will begin. However, this visit was also met with criticism inside Iran.
The Jomhouri-e Eslami newspaper wrote, "The supporters and encouragers of this trip either do not have a complete knowledge of the region and are not aware of the consequences and complications of the Taliban's rule, or they are lobbying and paving the way for the Taliban, or they are pursuing personal or group interests, and in general, they do not have a heart for Iran and Iran's national interests."
The newspaper strongly criticised the Taliban, writing, "A rebellious, violent, and backward group that lacks internal legitimacy and acceptance, and has destroyed all ethnic and religious groups and minorities, and does not respect the most basic rights of women, and does not tolerate negotiations, does it deserve a visit at the level of the foreign minister?"
In an interview with ISNA news agency, Iran's ambassador to Kabul responded to these criticisms, saying that interaction with neighbours is part of humanitarian principles.
"If there is a need for a reason for the relationship between two neighbours in the same apartment, the neighbouring countries should also look for reasons for their relationship with each other," he said.
He added that Iran's interaction with Afghanistan is based on securing the mutual interests of the people of the two countries. "The issue of recognition of the Taliban regime is a different discussion that should be addressed in its place," he said.
‘Situation of Iranian Women in Afghanistan’
Abbas Araghchi also met with some Iranian citizens during his visit to Kabul. According to the Iranian ambassador, most of the Iranians living in Afghanistan are women who are married to Afghan men and live in the country due to family ties.
Referring to the precarious situation in Afghanistan, Bekdeli said, "The economic problems caused by years of war and conflict have also affected the lives of Iranian citizens. We are trying to reduce the economic problems of these people.”
Iran has close ties with the Taliban, and in addition to expanding economic cooperation, efforts have been made to establish "intelligence channels" between the two sides. The Islamic Republic is concerned about the activities of ISIS and other opposition groups in Afghanistan, and the Taliban is also concerned about the movements of its opposition fronts in Iran.
However, the Islamic Republic has extensive influence over the Taliban government, especially in the group's leadership circle in Kandahar.
Expanding economic relations, managing border security issues, addressing the situation of Afghan refugees in Iran, combating terrorism and narcotics, and managing water resources are among the most important issues of Iran's attention in relation to Afghanistan.
