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Iran FM slams the US for it’s ‘wrong policies’ on Afghanistan
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian has condemned the United States and its allies for the “wrong policies” they adopted in Afghanistan and said their stance had been engineered to create rifts between Afghanistan and its neighbor.
The Iranian government said in a statement that Amir Abdollahian made the remarks during a meeting with Afghanistan’s visiting acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Sunday.
Amir Abdollahian also said that the efforts of Afghans showed that no foreign power can occupy and rule Afghanistan and that history has proven that the bond between the people of the two countries is a type of “kinship”.
The Iranian government said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) had made “positive remarks” regarding the formation of an inclusive government. Amir Abdollahian “stressed the need to provide acceptable indicators in this regard”.
He also said Iran will use “regional capacities for further assistance to alleviate Afghans’ problems”.
Amir Abdollahian also stated that Afghanistan’s frozen assets by the United States should be released for humanitarian reasons and to help improve the economic situation.
Meanwhile, the Afghan delegation presented a report on the process of countering Daesh (ISIS) and other terrorist groups, as well as policies related to countering drug production and trafficking in Afghanistan.
Muttaqi stressed that Iran has always stood by Afghanistan and said the new government is not anti any of its neighboring countries.
Muttaqi also said: “Although the United States withdrew from Afghanistan with a disgraceful defeat, it still continues its policies against the Afghan people, and as a result of these policies, 80% of the Afghan people are below the poverty threshold”.
The two sides also discussed Iran’s water share agreement regarding the Helmand River. According to the statement, the Afghan delegation said a commission would meet with Iranian officials to resolve issues regarding water.
Meanwhile, the IEA’s deputy spokesman Bilal Karimi said that Muttaqi also met with Iran’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Hassan Kazemi Qomi.
He said that the discussions had been positive and constructive and had included bilateral economic-related political relations, trade, commerce, oil, transit and security issues.
Both sides agreed that Afghanistan’s geographical location acted as a link between Central and South Asia. They also noted that it was a route for Iran to transit its exports to other countries in the region, and for Afghanistan to be able to export goods through Iran.
Shahabuddin Delawar, president of the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS), met with Richard Lindsay, the UK’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, to discuss the country’s humanitarian situation and ways to expand assistance for vulnerable communities.
According to ARCS, the meeting focused on support for people affected by natural disasters, Afghan returnees and other vulnerable groups, particularly their urgent humanitarian and healthcare needs.
Delawar thanked the United Kingdom for its humanitarian assistance to people affected by natural disasters and briefed Lindsay on the ARCS’s humanitarian and healthcare activities.
He highlighted the society’s services for children with congenital heart defects at its cardiac hospital, vocational training and skills development programs for vulnerable women and children across seven regional zones, mental healthcare services, and assistance to communities affected by natural disasters.
Delawar said decades of hardship had left many Afghans facing mental health challenges, while vulnerable families continued to struggle with difficult living conditions. He stressed the need for expanded humanitarian assistance and healthcare support.
Referring to the return of Afghan refugees from neighboring countries, Delawar said many families urgently need shelter, food, non-food items and medical services. He called for greater UK cooperation to help meet returnees’ basic needs.
Lindsay praised the ARCS’s humanitarian work and pledged continued cooperation in supporting returnees and other humanitarian initiatives in the coming year. He also said he would seek to facilitate effective cooperation with the society in the healthcare sector.
Both sides underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation to expand humanitarian assistance, support vulnerable communities and improve healthcare services in Afghanistan.
Amir Khan Muttaqi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, met with Yatin Patel, India’s chargé d’affaires in Kabul, on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Muttaqi emphasized that, in line with its balanced foreign policy, the Islamic Emirate attaches importance to relations with India.
Referring to the growing volume of trade between the two countries, he stressed the need to strengthen communication and cooperation between Afghanistan’s and India’s public and private sectors, adding that cooperation should be expanded to make better use of existing capacities.
Meanwhile, Yatin Patel said India seeks to expand its relations and engagement with Afghanistan in the economic, political and humanitarian fields.
Muttaqi also wished Patel success in his new assignment.
Mohammad Naeem, Deputy Minister for Finance and Administration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, met on Wednesday with Richard Lindsay, the UK’s Special Representative for Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the two sides discussed Afghanistan’s political, economic and security situation, regional stability, humanitarian assistance and consular services.
Naeem expressed appreciation for the UK’s humanitarian assistance and cooperation with Afghanistan and stressed the importance of continuing cooperation between the two sides.
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