Iran: Regional co-op key to Afghan peace

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki voices concern about insecurity in Afghanistan, urging regional states to contribute in establishing stability in the war-torn country.

In a meeting with UN Secretary General’s Special Representative to Afghanistan Staffan de Mistura in New York on Wednesday, Mottaki stressed the importance of bolstering regional cooperation to restore peace in Afghanistan, IRNA reported.

According to the Iranian minister, the United Nations plays a key role in managing the Afghan affairs.

“We believe the Afghan government is the main axis. So, even concerning the issue of cooperation among regional countries, the Afghan government should possess the key role,” he noted.

The UN envoy, for his part, praised Iran’s role in establishing peace and stability in the war-stricken Afghanistan and called for exchanging views with the Islamic Republic on Afghan developments.

Despite the presence of more than 70,000 US-led foreign troops in Afghanistan, militant attacks are at a record high this year. So far, some 5,400 people, among them countless civilians, have lost their lives in clashes between Western forces and the Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked militants.