US pays no heed to security of Muslim countries: Iran Parliament speaker

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf says the United States has been playing a destructive role in Afghanistan, emphasizing that Washington does not care about security of Muslim countries.

Qalibaf made the remarks in a Sunday meeting with Abdullah Abdullah, the head of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), who is in Tehran to hold talks with senior Iranian officials during an official three-day visit.

“Americans only seek to promote their own plans and do not care about progress and security of the Islamic countries,” Iran’s top parliamentarian said, while restating the Islamic Republic’s support for the Afghan government and constitution.

He added that Afghanistan has been suffering from insecurity and instability from the former Soviet Union's invasion of the country in 1979 up to the current presence of US forces.

"As long as regional countries and people of these countries and their different ethnic groups have not achieved unity, coordination and empathy, foreign forces, topped by the US, will only pursue their own ominous goals," Qalibaf said.

Iran's parliament speaker said the Islamic Republic has always tried to reinforce unity among Muslim countries without any interference in their internal affairs, noting that many issues related to Iran and Afghanistan are intertwined and the two countries enjoy deep historical and cultural bonds.

Abdullah, for his part, commended Iran's support for his country, saying that Tehran aims to support the establishment of peace in Afghanistan within the framework of the country's constitution and under the aegis of its Islamic government.

He added that Iran and Afghanistan are working on a comprehensive document for boosting bilateral cooperation and have managed to make major advances in this regard.

Iran and Afghanistan have common historical and civilizational roots and their common customs will further cement bilateral cooperation, he further said.

Meanwhile, in a post to his Twitter account, Abdullah described as "constructive" his meeting with the Iranian Parliament speaker.

Had a constructive meeting with HE Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf @mb_ghalibaf, Speaker of the Parliament of I.R. of Iran. We discussed the #AfghanPeaceProcess, & developments in Doha talks. HE Ghalibaf assured us of Majlis’s support for a lasting peace in Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/ne3kdlqvYA

— Dr. Abdullah Abdullah (@DrabdullahCE) October 18, 2020

"We discussed the #AfghanPeaceProcess, & developments in Doha talks," he said, noting that Qalibaf had assured that the Iranian Parliament would support "lasting peace in Afghanistan."

Earlier in the day, the HCNR chairman held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif who said the Islamic Republic supports peace talks between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban militant group as well as the agreements reached between the two sides.

Foreign Minister Zarif says Iran supports peace process in Afghanistan

Negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban began in Doha on September 12.

Zarif emphasized Iran’s support for the Islamic government in Afghanistan and an Afghan-led peace process, while hailing  Abdullah's role in the country's politics and emphasizing that Iran supports the Taliban's participation in the Afghan political arena.

Read more:

• US must swiftly end catastrophic presence in Afghanistan: Iran
• Iran ready to help Afghan govt. advance national peace process: Deputy FM
• Iran playing good host to millions of Afghan migrants for 4 decades

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