Eurasia Press & News
Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in Herat on Saturday stressed the strong bonds between the two nations. Also during the meeting, held on the sidelines of the 17th meeting of the foreign ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) member states in the western city of Herat, Karzai reiterated Kabul’s strategy for consolidating all-out ties with the Islamic Republic.
He voiced pleasure in the two countries’ profound and cordial relations, and emphasized that all Afghan officials seek further expansion of the friendly and sincere relations existing between Tehran and Kabul.
The Afghan president called for the removal of impediments to the further expansion of bilateral ties between the two neighboring states.
He also noted the current developments in his country, and said, “It is now a year that we are confronting cumbersome conditions due to the insecurities and domestic developments in Afghanistan.”
“Continuation of Iran’s good intentions (in relations with Afghanistan) is vitally important to Afghanistan,” Karzai reiterated.
He also pointed to the West’s unreal claims about Iran’s interference in Afghanistan’s affairs, and said, “We have resisted the negative propaganda launched by foreign states against the Islamic Republic and we stress that aliens’ propaganda should not leave a negative impact on the consolidated ties between the two great nations of Iran and Afghanistan.”
“The two Iranian and Afghan nations are close to each other due to their bonds and commonalities, they belong to the same house and they will live alongside each other for good,” the Afghan president underscored.
For his part, the Iranian foreign minister viewed the two countries’ relations as friendly and progressive, but meantime reminded that Tehran-Kabul trade relations and exchanges are distant away from desirable conditions.
“The Islamic Republic expects that the two sides enjoy cordial and balanced ties supported by the serious resolve of the two countries’ leaders,” Mottaki said.
He further blasted the approach pursued by the foreign troops towards Afghanistan’s developments, saying that the approach runs counter to the democratic achievements of the Afghan people.
The top diplomat expressed the hope that as a result of Karzai’s insight, national resolve and the principles and achievements gained by the Afghan people during the era of resistance against the Taliban would be manifested in all the different scenes and arenas.
