FM Zarif: Iran Sees Afghan Progress, Security as Its Own
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif highlighted the great importance that Tehran attaches to security and development of neighboring Afghanistan.
“Afghanistan is a friend neighbor for the Islamic Republic of Iran, and that country’s development and security is considered as Iran’s,” Zarif said at a meeting with Afghanistan's national security adviser, Mohammad Hanif Atmar, held in Tehran on Saturday.
Zarif underlined that such supportive stance was not a personal view, but a principled policy of Iran towards Afghanistan.
For his part, the Afghan official said Kabul attaches great significance to cooperation with Tehran, calling for joint action in the fight against terrorism and extremism.
Atmar has travelled to Tehran for a two-day visit at the invitation of Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani.
In a meeting with Atmar earlier on Saturday, Shamkhani voiced the country’s readiness to devise joint strategies with neighboring Afghanistan in various areas, such as political, economic and security as well as border issues.