Tehran to jointly fight terror with Kabul: official

TEHRAN (Pajhwok): Tehran desired increased cooperation with Kabul in diverse fields, including countering terrorism, a senior Iranian official has said.

These views were expressed on Sunday by Iran’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim Rahimpur during a meeting with a visiting Afghan delegation that included some journalists.

The Afghan delegation also included some Afghan Foreign Ministry officials and Information and Culture’s deputy minister Samin Hassanzada.

Ibrahim Rahimpur told the delegation that Iran had agreed with the new Afghan government on extension in visas for Afghan refugees.

He said Iran was ready to increase cooperation with Afghanistan in diverse fields and the fight against terrorism.

“There is no doubt Iran and Afghanistan enjoy brotherly relations. Tehran has made efforts in formation of the unity government in Kabul and we expect cooperation from Kabul in jointly countering extremism.”

He said Iran had played its part in the formation of the unity government in Kabul and now desired its success.

Rahimpur said he visited Kabul and met with former president Hamid Karzai, incumbent president Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah and discussed with them the formation of a national unity government.

The Iranian official said they had increased the issuance of visas to Afghans and wanted more Afghans to visit Iran.

Rahimpur said Iran was happy with the exit of foreign troops from Afghanistan and urged the international community to financially support Kabul for Afghanistan’s reconstruction.

Former Afghan government led by Karzai has frequently accused Iran and Pakistan of interfering into Afghanistan’s internal affairs and no cooperation in stabilising the war-torn country.

Kabul also accuses Tehran and Islamabad of mistreating Afghan refugees living in the two neighbouring countries.

President Ghani has insisted on increased regional cooperation and he is due to send his security advisor Mohammad Hanif Atmar to Iran today (Monday) to discuss with Iranian officials regional issues.

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