The Strategic Studies Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a scientific meeting in Kabul titled “The New Iranian Government and Opportunities to Strengthen Kabul-Tehran Relations.”
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ press release, the head of the Strategic Studies Center stated during the meeting that with the new government in Iran, there is hope for expanding bilateral relations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ press release stated: “Mr. Shaheen said that Afghanistan and Iran are neighboring countries, and in religious texts, neighbors hold a valuable and important place. The Islamic Emirate strives to maintain good relations with all its neighbors. We have good exchanges and interactions with Iran, and we hope that with the change in Iran’s government, bilateral relations will further expand.”
Political analyst Samiullah Ahmadzai said: “It is a principle of diplomacy that when you want to expand your relations with a country, you must have a strategy towards that country. We are confident that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will develop a strategy and, based on it, will expand relations.”
Jafar Mahdavi, a university lecturer, referring to various reasons including Iran’s strained relations with Israel and the United States, expressed hope that the relations between the Islamic Emirate and Iran would grow closer.
Mahdavi also added that Iran should abandon its demand for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan, which remains undefined.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ press release quoted Jaafar Mahdavi: “It is necessary for Iran to also abandon the demand for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan, which is currently neither practical nor acceptable.”
Previously, Rasoul Mousavi, assistant to Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while sharing an image of his meeting with the Deputy Political Chief of the Prime Minister’s Office, said that managing relations with Afghanistan’s interim government is the most challenging and complex type of political management in Iran’s diplomatic relations.
On the other hand, Masoud Pezeshkian, the new president of Iran, had stated that engaging with neighboring countries is one of his top priorities.