Security of Iran, Afghanistan Interrelated: Rouhani

Iran favors stability, security, peace and calm in Afghanistan and calls for enhanced ties with the Kabul government, Rouhani said in a meeting with Afghanistan's Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah on Saturday.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 5th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Tajikistan.

The Iranian president also highlighted Tehran and Kabul’s efforts in the war against terrorism, adding, “Security of regional countries, including Iran and Afghanistan, are tied up with each other, therefore, establishment of stability and regional development rests on cooperation among the regional countries.”

He further pointed to the ample opportunities available for cooperation between Iran and Afghanistan in various economic and security fields, and called for concerted action in the war on drug trafficking which he said provides financial support for terrorism.

For his part, Abdullah expressed gratitude to Iran for helping the Afghan nation, urging closer political, economic and trade cooperation with the Islamic Republic.

“Iran has always stood with the Afghan people and government, and we thank Tehran for its help and support,” he added.

He also called for joint efforts by regional parties for uprooting terrorism.

Heading a ranking delegation, Rouhani arrived in Dushanbe on Friday night after a trip to Kyrgyzstan where he took part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. 

The ongoing CICA summit in Dushanbe is designed to serve as a platform for discussing and resolving problems in Asia, as well as for promoting initiatives and finding effective mechanisms at a high level.

The idea of formation of CICA was first brought up by Kazakhstan’s outgoing President Nursultan Nazarbayev in October 1992, during the 47th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.