Afghanistan has made great strides in democracy: Zarif

Tehran (IP) - The Iranian Foreign Minister said that Afghanistan had made great achievements in democracy, humans and minority rights in recent years.

Iran PressIran news: "The participation of the Afghan people in determining their own destiny is a fact that must be recognized," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Afghanistan's TOLO news.

"Iran has always supported the government and people of Afghanistan," he said, adding: "All Afghan groups must decide on the future of their country, and this is the principled policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran towards Afghanistan."

Recalling Iran's active role in Afghanistan over the past 20 years, Zarif said: "Afghanistan's legitimate government is based on democracy and respect for the rights of the people, and the US agreement with Taliban and its imposition on the Afghan people is not acceptable to the Afghan people."

Emphasizing that the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other countries in the region is detrimental to peace and security in the region, the Iranian Foreign Minister called for the legal and calculated withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan. 

"The people of Afghanistan want the Afghans to hand over their security responsibilities properly, not the Americans to negotiate with the Taliban," he said. 

Iranian Foreign Minister stated: "The US should facilitate inter-Afghan talks, not contact a group (Taliban) instead of Afghans and reach an agreement, and get to the point where that group does not take anything but its own agreement with the United States as a basis."

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