Abdullah Abdullah, the chairman of the Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation, on Monday met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who pledged his country’s support for an enduring and acceptable peace for the people of Afghanistan, Abdullah’s office said.
The Iranian president said he hopes that the peace efforts will work in Afghanistan’s favor, a statement by Abdullah’s office reads, and Iran’s leader insisted on the implementation of joint economic plans between the two countries, Too news reported.
Meanwhile, Abdullah spoke of recent developments in the peace efforts, the peace negotiations in Doha, and his travel to other regional countries and stressed Afghanistan’s will to achieve a permanent peace with dignity.
He appreciated the “principled” stance of the Islamic Republic of Iran in supporting the Afghan peace efforts and called for the continuation of support, the statement said.
Abdullah said he supports the effort to implement economic plans for the two countries and said that doing such could provide the foundation for peace and further regional cooperation.
Rouhani stated that the US intervention and presence as an aggressor in Afghanistan was not following the wishes of the people of the country, adding that the Trump administration, which has failed in its policies in the internal, region and the world issues, seeks to take advantage of Afghan peace talks for the US Presidential Election.
Referring to the opening of the Khaf-Herat railway in the coming days, the Iranian President said that the Iranian and Afghan railways’ connection would strengthen economic and trade cooperation between the two countries and added: “Iran is ready to connect gas pipeline and oil products to Afghanistan provide the chance to its people to use these energies,” Iran Press reported.
In an interview with Iranian media on Sunday, Abdullah Abdullah said that continuing the war in Afghanistan does not serve any interest in any country.
The people of Afghanistan are suffering but it’s also affecting the regional countries economically, he mentioned during the interview.
“Asia and South Asia will connect when is peace in Afghanistan, so there will be good transit and economic relations,” Abdullah said, adding: “I think all countries will benefit from peace in Afghanistan more than continuing the war.”
On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met Abdullah in Tehran and discussed the Afghan peace process, Abdullah’s office confirmed.