Second Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan

On 27 October 2021, the second meeting of the foreign ministers of the neighboring countries of Afghanistan was held in Tehran.

On 27 October 2021, Tehran hosted the Second Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan’s Neighboring Countries. Mohammad Mokhber, the Vice-president of the Islamic Republic of Iran inaugurated the the meeting by a comprehensive speech on Afghanistan situation. UN Secretary-General addressed the distinguished audience, lending a multilateral touch to the event in striving to find ways out of the current situation.

The entire meeting was held in an atmosphere of confidence and multilateral understanding and all parties had attended the talks with a view to find a solution to support Afghanistan through a constructive approach.

A salient element, which was consensually agreed upon by all parties, was the destructive role played by foreign intervention in Afghanistan. Foreign Ministers were also unanimous in holding the countries that are primarily responsible for Afghanistan’s predicament accountable and demanding that hey deliver on their commitments and provide the Afghans with the urgently needed economic, livelihood and humanitarian assistance to help realise a stable transition of the situation in Afghanistan.

The Ministers agreed on a Joint Ministerial Statement, declaring among others, the following:
1. Use of inclusive dialogue among Afghans as primary means for settling differences
2. Calling for prompt return to the normal order of society through prudent internal and external policies;
3. Ensure that the Afghan territory will not pose any threats to neighboring countries and will not be used by criminal, terrorist and separatist groups as a safe haven for their operation;
4. abidance by universally accepted principles of international law in respect of foreign nationals in Afghanistan;
5. The relevant Afghan parties were encouraged to curb all threat-generating elements within their territory;
6. Calling for Afghan and International parties to address the root causes of refugees and forced displacement in Afghanistan;
7. calling on the international community and donor countries to provide continued, adequate, and proportionate financial support to the host countries of AFghan refugees especially to Iran and Pakistan.
8. calling for more urgent humanitarian provisions to prevent a looming crisis and a refugee wave;
9. Calling for concrete steps in helping Afghanistan fight Covid19 and curb the spread of the virus.

The participants reiterated their willingness for further positive engagement and welcomed a third iteration of the meeting in near future.