Iran’s Ambassador and Special Representative in Kabul, honorable Hassan Kazemi Qomi told the world through a post on X that the Islamic Emirate has sat two important conditions for its participation at the upcoming Doha Conference on Afghanistan. According to the Iranian Envoy, it is a good opportunity to find out how serious the proposal of finding a ‘fairway’ for the interaction that comes under the goals of the meeting. If the path of interaction is followed, the world will witness a stable Afghanistan.
Nowadays, the clerics-regimes in Afghanistan and Iran are on cordial terms after Pakistan pulled back its support to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Taliban and Sheeti-controlled Islamic Republic of Iran have faced fundamental ideological differences in their bilateral relations since the Taliban movement emerged in early 90s. Both nations found common political grounds in the recent past that include identical challenges, and shared fate, coinciding prospects to survive in a somehow contained and isolated environment amid sanctions and coercion from the powerful Western lobby. Afghanistan and Iran have strengthened their trade and economic bonds through peaceful settlement of their border and water disputes along with enhanced cooperation in the political domain.
Presently, a UN-led conference on Afghanistan is scheduled to be held on 18-19 February in Doha Qatar. This meeting will be hosted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and will discuss the proposals of the Afghanistan Independent Assessment report based on the UN Security Council Resolution 2721. The UN authorities have invited the Islamic Emirate to attend the meeting but Afghan authorities have not yet officially confirmed their participation. Interestingly, the Special Envoy of Taliban’s newly invented friend spoke on behalf of the Taliban government informing the world about some conditions put forth by the cleric regime prior to attend the global huddle.
Historically, Taliban’s Afghanistan is plunged into a wide range of issues ranging from political instability, terrorism and the worst effects of global warming to ever-growing poverty, humanitarian and economic crises, shortages of resources, and arrival of returnees coupled with serious issues created by the rulers’ domestic and foreign policies in the past two years. Doha conference has opened a window of cooperation for Kabul to interact with the global community, apprise them on Afghanistan problems and seek their cooperation at an early stage. Hence, creating hurdles and setting conditions would spoil the environment and will reduce the scope for cooperation from the global community along with shutting this important window for unlimited period. Hence, Afghans must speak for themselves instead using hired mouthpieces if they seek a dignified return into the global community, otherwise they will be known from their company they keep. That is a Global rejection and isolation with no say and least participation in the world affairs.
