Islamic Emirate: ‘Good Intentions’ of Russia, Iran Appreciated

After discussions between the foreign ministers of Russia and Iran regarding Afghanistan, the Islamic Emirate has described its relations with these two countries as positive and expressed hope that these ties will further expand.

Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, stated: “The Islamic Emirate has good relations with both Russia and Iran and appreciates their good intentions regarding Afghanistan. Especially in economic and political matters, we have witnessed significant progress with them, and we hope these relations will grow further.”

The foreign ministers of Russia and Iran said in Tehran on Tuesday that developments in Afghanistan are of particular interest to both countries and that they will continue their consultations on the issue.

Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, stressed in a joint press conference with Abbas Araghchi, Iranian foreign minister, that their discussions focused on regional issues, particularly Afghanistan. According to Lavrov, Moscow addresses Afghanistan-related matters through neighboring countries and within the framework of the “Moscow Format.”

Lavrov stated: “I already mentioned the successful holding of the Economic Forum in January here in Iran and our cooperation on Afghanistan, where we interact in various formats, including the Moscow format, meetings of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, and the Quadrilateral group of China, Iran, Russia, and Pakistan.”

The Russian foreign minister stressed that Afghanistan should not be forgotten and that Moscow, in collaboration with Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, pays special attention to resolving the country’s issues.

Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, also noted that developments in Afghanistan have always been of interest to both Tehran and Moscow and that the two countries will continue their consultations in this regard.

The Iranian foreign minister stated: “Afghanistan’s developments are important to us and Russia. Our discussions on this matter have always continued, and we intend to consult even more on this issue.”

“Overall, we should maintain balanced relations with the West to avoid being dragged into a Cold War, as Afghanistan suffered significant damage in the 1980s and 1990s,” said Moeen Gul Samkanai, a political analyst.

Previously, Russia’s foreign minister had also stated that the United States seeks to maintain its influence in Afghanistan and is using neighboring countries to achieve this objective.