Iranian FM Confers with German, Japanese Counterparts on Afghanistan

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi in a meeting with his German and Japanese counterparts in Tokyo on Sunday discussed the latest developments in Afghanistan as well as ways to help its Eastern neighbor to make further progress.

During the meetings with Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, Salehi and his counterparts also conferred on bilateral relations as well as regional and international developments.

The meetings were held on the sidelines of an international conference in Tokyo, Japan, on Afghanistan.

International donors pledged Sunday $16 billion in badly needed development aid for Afghanistan over the next four years.

The major donors’ conference, attended by about 70 countries and organizations, is aimed at setting aid levels for Afghanistan which has been faced with different problems after the US and its allies’ attack against the country in 2001.

“I request Afghanistan’s friends and partners to reassure the Afghan people that you will be with us,” Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in his opening statement.

Iran is one of the most important donors to Afghanistan which has kept its promises to help to the reconstruction of the war-hit country.

Iran has also built some roads, power transmission lines, and border stations, among the other infrastructure projects which would better link the two nations.