Addressing a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on Afghanistan on Wednesday, he said that after years of insecurity and instability, Afghan people favor true and sustainable peace.
Any peace talks should involve all Afghan parties with the government at the center, he reiterated.
No country has the right to decide for Afghanistan's future, Iran's envoy said, noting that any peace process should be based on real ideals and needs of Afghan people and preserving the country's achievements, including the Constitution.
Stressing the need for countering terrorist groups and drug traffickers, he hailed Iran's measures in this respect, saying that some 3,815 Iranian forces have so far been martyred and 12,000 others have been wounded, which is indicative of its seriousness in the field.
For instance, according to the UNODC’s “World Drug Report 2019”, in 2017, Iran had seized “the largest quantity of opiates … accounting for 39 percent of the global total” as well as the largest quantities of opium and the second largest quantities of morphine and heroin.
"We are determined to continue such efforts despite the detrimental effects of the United States’ illegal unilateral sanctions undermining our capabilities in this regard," he said.
Unfortunately, these sanctions have serious negative consequences on the lives of over three million Afghan refugees in Iran, most of whom are now seriously contemplating migrating to other countries, including in Europe, he said.
The effects of the US sanctions on the fate of Afghan refugees must have been included in the draft resolution on the situation in Afghanistan to be adopted today, as it is expected to reflect all realities on the ground, Takht Ravanchi said.
"Finally, expressing our support for UNAMA’s efforts, the Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms its resolve to continue supporting the fraternal people and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan," the envoy said.
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