Iran’s Border Provinces Assigned to Strengthen Diplomatic Ties
Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, said that the country’s border provinces will be assigned the mission of expanding diplomatic relations with neighboring countries.
Araghchi added that within this framework, border issues—including drug trafficking and the management of border crossings—will be resolved through cooperation with neighboring countries.
Regarding this matter, he stated: “A new initiative under the title ‘Provincial Diplomacy’ has been launched in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We intend for all provinces that share borders with neighboring countries to establish diplomatic interactions and exchanges with adjacent provinces across the borders.”
Sayed Akbar Sial Wardak, a political analyst, stated: “Drug trafficking is a global issue. Therefore, all countries must collaborate and coordinate in this regard to prevent traffickers from posing security threats to other nations.”
Araghchi also announced that in just over a month, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs will host a regional seminar attended by Iranian ambassadors and consuls general in neighboring countries, including Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.
Ahmad Bilal Omar, a political analyst, said: “This is an essential need for all nations, especially neighboring countries, to maintain good relations and enable their citizens to travel easily with legal documentation. However, unfortunately, we see ambiguities in Iran’s policies.”
Previously, the Ministry of Interior of the Islamic Emirate had called on neighboring countries to cooperate with Afghanistan in preventing drug trafficking.
