Afghan ambassador: Iran major supporter of Afghan refugees

Afghan Ambassador to Tehran Nasir Ahmad Nour said on Saturday that the Islamic Republic of Iran is the biggest supporter of Afghan refugees, AVA Diplomatic reports.

In an exclusive interview with IRNA, he said that the Afghan government is thankful to Iran for hosting and sheltering several hundred thousand Afghan refugees while the country was under tough economic sanctions.

Terrorism is an ultra-national issue and all governments are required to fight the threats posed by terrorism to the international community and avoid extremism in their foreign policy.

Afghanistan is currently suffering from external elements coming through borders, he said adding that as soon as the former Soviet Union pulled out troops from Afghanistan, problems from other borders entered into the country, he said.

On Iranian demand for the Afghan government cooperation to revive Hamoun lake, he said Kabul will spare no efforts to help Iran revive the lake.

Iranian government has always backed the Afghan people and Iran-Afghan relations are very deeply-rooted, he said.

Level of visits of the diplomatic, economic and cultural delegation was unprecedented in the past decade, he said.

Following the visit made by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to Kabul this year, Afghan new President Ashraf Ghani is to pay an official visit to Tehran this month, he said.

He said that Afghan president is to confer with Iranian high ranking officials on expansion of mutual relations and cooperation along with regional and global developments.

The Ambassador said that expansion of relations with the neighboring states is among top priorities of Afghan government.

He said that Iran and Afghanistan are mulling a comprehensive and long term cooperation document to cover mutual and regional cooperation in the future.

Iran fulfills its pledge to render humanitarian aid to Afghan people despite the other governments which did not keep their promise, he said adding that the Islamic Republic of Iran has spent some dlrs 350 million for reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Sheltering Afghan refugees and enrolling their children in schools and universities are among significant assistance of the Islamic Republic of Iran, he said.

He said that the Afghan government welcomes Iran’s private sector for reconstruction of the country.

The grounds for expansion of cooperation in commerce, mining, agriculture, medical health and treatment, culture, science and technological know-how are well prepared, said Afghan ambassador.

He said that Chabahar port is designated to be an international port as joint project conducted by Iran, Afghanistan and India aiming to help bolster economic cooperation.

Laying rail track between Iran and China through Afghanistan is among joint cooperation between the two countries for transit of goods, he said.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is among top exporters of goods and services to Afghanistan, he said.

Trade between the two counties is very minor and Afghanistan’s exports to Iran do not exceed dlrs 50 million which should be boosted to a higher level, he said.