Former Afghan President Karzai Meets Iranian Foreign Minister In Rome

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and envoys from five Western nations during a recent trip to Rome, diplomatic sources told Afghanistan International.

According to the sources, Karzai flew to Rome on a private jet from Germany to meet Araghchi, who was in the Italian capital on Friday, 23 May, for the fifth round of indirect negotiations with the United States. The meeting reportedly took place at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Rome.

Among the Western diplomats Karzai met were representatives from countries including Germany and the United Kingdom, as well as an envoy linked to US president Donald Trump.

The central focus of the discussions was the launch of a national dialogue and the formation of an inclusive national government in Afghanistan, an initiative Karzai has long championed. Both Iranian and Western diplomats expressed support for the proposal, describing it as the only viable solution to Afghanistan’s protracted political and humanitarian crisis.

Sources also noted that detailed consultations took place regarding the potential mechanisms for implementing such a dialogue within Afghanistan.

Karzai’s trip to Europe, including his unofficial visit to Germany, is one of several he has undertaken since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Over the past four years, Karzai has consistently called for a broad-based, intra-Afghan dialogue and the establishment of a representative government, appeals that have been largely dismissed by the Taliban leadership in Kandahar.

Karzai has since returned to Kabul following his meetings in Europe.