Iran criticizes wrong regional policies

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has criticized the wrong policies adopted by certain countries in the region, blaming those policies for spread of extremism.

“Unfortunately, adopting wrong policies in the region in the past has caused the spread of a wave of extremism…which must stop,” the Iranian foreign minister said on Thursday after his arrival in the Chinese capital, Beijing.

The Chinese city will host the 4th Ministerial Conference of Istanbul Process on Afghanistan on Friday.

The conference was first launched in 2011 to help promote coordination between Afghanistan and other regional countries to counter common threats, including terrorism and extremism. It is attended by 14 countries as its members and around 30 others as supporting countries.

The third conference was held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on April 26.

Zarif said the solution to the scourge of extremism hinges on the adoption of a new policy toward Afghanistan and the region by the conference’s member countries.

He further stressed that none of the member countries can solve the problems in Afghanistan by themselves, adding, “Only through unity, convergence, and prioritizing Afghanistan’s problems can we be hopeful to solve them.”

The United States, Britain, and their allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as part of their so-called war on terror. Although the offensive removed the Taliban from power, insecurity continues to rise across the country.

IA/HJL/SS