The US withdrawal from Afghanistan is a "turning point" for peace, security, and stability in Afghanistan, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said Thursday at a meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
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Raisi slammed the US presence in Afghanistan as a "failed model" that did not have the "capacity to create lasting peace and stability," and said that the role of other countries – including Afghanistan's regional neighbors – should be to facilitate "an inclusive and participatory government that [includes] all Afghan groups."
Raisi told Qureshi that the presence of the United States and other "foreigners" created problems rather than contributing to security, and that Iran and Pakistan could "work together" to create a situation that would allow the Afghans to determine their own fate.
Qureshi repeated the importance of cooperation between Pakistan and Iran in forming "lasting peace and stability" in Afghanistan, saying that Iran was a "major player in regional developments."
When the Taliban seized control of Kabul on Aug. 17, Raisi declared on Iranian state TV that "America's military defeat and its withdrawal must become an opportunity to restore life, security and durable peace in Afghanistan."
"Iran backs efforts to restore stability in Afghanistan and, as a neighboring and brother nation, Iran invites all groups in Afghanistan to reach a national agreement, he said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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