Iran Press/America: At a Security Council meeting on Afghanistan, Iranian ambassador to the UN Majid Takht-Ravanchi said: "Iran and Afghanistan have common religious, cultural, linguistic and historical backgrounds, and our stability, socio-cultural development and economic growth are intertwined and reinforces each other."
"As the President of Iran has stated, we consider the stability of Afghanistan as our own," he said.
Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations continued: "Decades of insecurity and instability in Afghanistan end only through a comprehensive process of peace between Afghans, including all factions, including the Taliban, with the support of neighbors and regional and international partners."
Takht-Ravanchi added that the peace process should preserve and strengthen past achievements, especially the current constitution, the right of the people to self-determination through elections, the rights of women and ethnic and religious minorities, as well as the commitment to fight terrorism.
"We support the peace talks and believe that their successful completion depends on the flexibility and patience of all parties while prioritizing the interests of the Afghan people over other interests," said the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations.
Takht-Ravanchi added that Iran continues to call for a more serious involvement of the United Nations in the Afghan peace process and is ready, in coordination with that organization, to contribute to the success of this process.
The security situation in Afghanistan remains worrying, especially due to terrorist attacks, such as those carried out by ISIS, whose presence poses a serious threat to the security of Afghanistan and the region.
He also cited the presence of foreign troops as a manifestation of foreign interference and another source of instability in Afghanistan.
Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations concluuded: "However, as many countries have emphasized, their withdrawal must be planned and in a responsible way which must not lead to a security vacuum in Afghanistan." 219
