Iranian VP Meets Former Afghan President Karzai
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Vice President for Executive Affairs Mohammad Shariatmadari and former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in a meeting in Kabul on Monday, exchanged views on a range of issues, including bilateral ties and regional developments.
During the meeting, Shariatmadari praised Afghanistan’s advances during Karzai’s term in office, and described the achievements as outcome of the former president’s prudence and ability to govern the country.
He also invited Karzai to pay an official visit to Iran and meet with the country’s officials.
Shariatmadari represented Iran in Afghan President-elect Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai’s swearing-in ceremony on Monday, which was held at Afghanistan’s presidential palace in Kabul.
Ghani succeeds President Hamid Karzai after a three-month standoff over disputed election results that fuelled tensions with local leaders and worsened Afghanistan's dire economic outlook.
On September 21, Afghanistan's rival presidential candidates, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Abdullah Abdullah, signed a deal to share power in a unity government.
Shortly after the deal was signed, Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission (IEC) declared Ghani as the winner of country’s disputed presidential vote.
Following the development, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani congratulated Ahmadzai as the new Afghan president, and expressed Tehran’s satisfaction with the formation of a national unity government in the neighboring Afghanistan.
