In a phone call with Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar late on Tuesday, Zarif discussed the latest situation of Afghan parties in the framework of the peace process, the role of neighboring countries in it, as well as issues of mutual interest, IRNA reported.

He expressed satisfaction with the holding of talks among the Afghan parties.

The phone call was made days after Afghan officials and Taliban representatives held their first direct negotiations in the Qatari capital.

Representatives from the government in Kabul and those from the Taliban arrived in Doha on Saturday for the much-awaited intra-Afghan negotiations, which were also attended by politicians from Afghanistan, international organizations and the United States, Press TV reported.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry in a statement on Saturday welcomed the launch of long-delayed direct talks between Kabul and the Taliban militant group, underlining the need for “responsible” withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan as an essential prerequisite for peace and security in the war-torn country.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has always emphasized that there is no military solution to the problems in Afghanistan, and rejected the continued presence of foreign forces as one of the main reasons behind the persistence of war in the country, the statement read.