On the invitation of the Iranian government a Taliban delegation met with an Afghan government delegation in Tehran, where they were hosted by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. The Taliban side was led by Abbas Stanekzai, a senior negotiator and head of the group’s political bureau in Qatar. The Afghan government delegation was represented by three factions and led by former Vice President Yunus Qanooni. He is a leader of the Northern Alliance which is dominated by the Tajiks.
Zarif cautioned the Afghans that the continuation of conflicts between the government and the Taliban would have “unfavorable” consequences for Afghanistan, and a return to the intra-Afghan negotiations was the “best solution.”
A joint statement was released after the talks declaring that both sides agreed that “war is not the solution to the Afghanistan problem” and that all efforts must be directed toward achieving a peaceful political solution. They also agreed to continue talks on the specific mechanisms of achieving lasting peace and establishing an Islamic state at a later meeting, according to Al Jazerra.
