Addressing an international conference on Afghanistan held in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent on Tuesday, Araqchi said the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan are the outcome of foreign military forces’ presence in the South Asian country.
He further emphasized that military approaches have failed in Afghanistan in the past and so will be the case in the future.
The Iranian diplomat went on to say that the withdrawal of the foreign troops from Afghanistan would be “a prelude to peace” in the country.
During the two-day conference in Tashkent, which began on Monday, more than 20 countries and organizations voiced their support for direct talks between the Kabul government and the Taliban to end the 16-year conflict in Afghanistan, according to media reports.
A joint declaration issued at the end of the meeting in the Uzbek capital underlined the signatories’ “strong backing for the National Unity Government’s offer to launch direct talks with the Taliban, without any preconditions.”
They also called upon the Taliban to “accept this offer for a peace process that is Afghan-led and Afghan-owned.”