Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, has met Mohammad Reza Bahrami, Iran’s director general for south Asia, to discuss a recent regional meeting on Afghanistan held in Tehran.
According to a statement from the Taliban’s foreign ministry, the meeting took place in Kabul on Wednesday (December 17). The ministry said Mr. Bahrami briefed Mr. Muttaqi in detail on the outcomes of the Tehran talks.
The Iranian official reportedly expressed hope that the Taliban would play what he described as a constructive role in regional cooperation, as an active regional actor.
The statement added that Mr. Muttaqi outlined the Taliban’s position in the Tehran meeting, claiming that Afghanistan under Taliban control has moved out of a difficult phase and is heading towards development.
He said Afghanistan should no longer be viewed as a “problem”, adding that the Taliban is pursuing active relations and cooperation with countries in the region as part of its foreign policy.
The regional meeting in Tehran was held on Monday, bringing together special representatives of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries as well as Russia. Representatives from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China and Russia attended.
The Taliban did not take part in the meeting and did not publicly announce their absence.
