KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, says that regional states at the high-level meeting in Tehran shared the same assessment that terrorism emanating from Afghanistan continues to pose a big challenge for the region.
The two-day meeting, which began on Sunday, convened special representatives from Afghanistan’s neighboring countries and key regional actors, including Pakistan, Russia, Uzbekistan, China, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, to discuss recent developments in Afghanistan and escalating tensions between the Taliban and Islamabad.
In a post on X on Sunday, Sadiq said that in his remarks at the meeting he stressed that only an Afghanistan free of terrorist activity would build confidence among neighboring and regional countries, allowing meaningful engagement and helping unlock the country’s economic and connectivity potential.
He said that the Afghan people have already endured significant suffering and deserve better. “It is, therefore, imperative that the current de-facto rulers take steps to ameliorate their suffering,” he said. “The foremost step in this regard would be to rid their soil indiscriminately of all types of terrorists.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, in opening remarks reported by Iranian media, highlighted Afghanistan’s geoeconomic importance, noting that its location at the crossroads of Central, West, and South Asia makes its stability and development a strategic necessity for the region.
Araqchi emphasized that security, development, and prosperity in Afghanistan are closely linked to the interests of all neighboring states. He called for structured mechanisms for dialogue among Afghanistan’s neighbors, saying such meetings help prevent misunderstandings, coordinate economic, border, and humanitarian policies, strengthen mutual understanding, reduce tensions, and promote constructive regional cooperation.
The Taliban did not attend the meeting. Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry, told local media that the group had received an invitation but chose not to participate. He said the decision reflected the Taliban’s view that Afghanistan already maintains active engagement with regional countries through existing organizations and cooperation frameworks, and has made what he described as significant progress in this area.
At the end of the first day of the meeting, Iran’s foreign minister told reporters that Tehran is in close contact with the Taliban and will communicate the outcomes of the talks to the group. “I am confident that a collective regional move will bring many benefits for regional stability,” he added.
