Tehran conference on Afghanistan begins tomorrow

Iran is going to host a two-day conference in its capital on December 15-16 on Afghanistan. The meeting is expected to be attended by special representatives from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China and Russia.

Pakistan Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan Ambassador to Kabul Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani, and Pakistan Ambassador to Tehran Mudassir Tipu will attend it.

Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov, China's Special Envoy for Afghanistan Affairs Yu Xiaoyong, and representatives of the presidents of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan will also participate.

Sources said Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi will address the meeting. A joint communiqué will be issued at the conclusion of the conference.

The Taliban's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday it will not take part in a regional meeting on Afghanistan, said a report published by an Afghan news outlet. Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesperson for the ministry, said the Taliban had received an invitation but decided not to attend.

According to Takal, the decision was based on the Taliban's view that Afghanistan already maintains active relations with regional countries through existing regional organisations and cooperation frameworks, and has made what he described as significant progress in this regard.

On Thursday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters that the Islamic Republic of Iran attached fundamental importance to security and stability in its neighbourhood.