Mideast extremism rooted in foreign meddling

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the rising threats of terrorism, extremism and narcotics across the Middle East are rooted in trans-regional interference.

Addressing the 4th Ministerial Conference of Istanbul Process on Afghanistan in the Chinese capital city of Beijing on Friday, Zarif pointed to the escalating threats of extremism and terrorism in the region and called for a global campaign to tackle the issue.

Extremism and violence have become a major challenge facing Muslim countries, with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and other Middle Eastern nations becoming the scene of deadly terrorist operations almost on a daily basis.

Zarif argued that the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan will eliminate one of the major causes of extremism in the region, as many regional issues have resulted from the interference of certain countries.

The Iranian foreign minister called on all world countries to join efforts to help establish peace and security in Afghanistan.

The Conference of Istanbul Process on Afghanistan 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 of Istanbul Process on Afghanistan was held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on April 26.