Iran Press/ Middle East: U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres attended the summit, which the world body described as nations and organizations trying to reach unified stances on human rights, governance, counterterrorism, and anti-drug efforts. No recognition had been anticipated to come out of the meeting, though activists in recent days criticized the possibility.
“To achieve our objectives, we cannot disengage,” Guterres said. “And many called for engagement to be more effective and based on lessons we have learned from the past.”
He did not elaborate, though the Taliban previously controlled Afghanistan from 1994 to 2001.
Hassan Kazemi Qomi, the Iranian President's special representative for Afghanistan affairs, headed the Iranian delegation at this meeting.
Asked by a journalist if there would be any circumstance under which he'd be wiling to directly meet with the Taliban, Guterres said: “When it is the right moment to do so, I will obviously not refuse that possibility — but today is not the right moment to do so.”
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