Renewed Support for Afghan Peace Process

Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia-Pacific Affairs Ebrahim Rahimpour reaffirmed Iran's readiness to help facilitate the peace process in neighboring Afghanistan. Rahimpour made the announcement on Thursday in Russia in an address to a conference on the situation in Iran's eastern neighbor, Fars News Agency reported. The event brought together envoys and some senior officials from the host and five other countries, namely Afghanistan, Iran, China, Pakistan and India. They discussed the implications of insecurity in Afghanistan for the region and explored ways of boosting the peace process and national reconciliation in the country, beset by years of civil war and insurgency. A joint statement was released at the end of the talks, in which participants agreed to ramp up the fight against terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan and increase cooperation to restore peace and stability to the impoverished country. Iran has had close relations with Afghanistan over the years and has hosted a large Afghan refugee community for more than 30 years ever since Afghans first fled the Soviet invasion. The Afghan situation deteriorated following the long Taliban insurgency and, in the past few years, rising attacks by the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group.