TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned of the scourge of terrorism in the region, underscoring that Tehran is against sorting terrorists into “good or bad” ones.
The Iranian foreign policy point man made the remarks in a meeting with Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani in Tehran on Monday, where he emphasized all terrorist and extremist groups must be countered.
“Afghanistan’s stability is of greatest importance for Iran,” the Iranian foreign minister said.
“The issue of security is very important for both Afghanistan and Iran and the two sides should hold successive talks to discuss the issue,” he added.
The Iranian top official further said that Iran sees Afghanistan’s progress and security its own.
Visiting Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, for his part, highlighted the importance of the bilateral talks for the Afghan government and people.
Rabbani hailed a decree by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, under which all Afghan children in Iran were allowed to attend schools in Iran.
Rabbani arrived in Tehran on Sunday to hold formal talks with senior Iranian officials on mutual interests.
In a separate meeting on Sunday with Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, Rabbani applauded Tehran’s role in supporting stability in Afghanistan, adding that Kabul has succeeded in improving its national security.
“Despite the enemies’ actions to destabilize the country, the Afghan people and government seek sustainable peace and stability in their country,” Rabbani said.
Larijani, for his part, called on all countries to cooperate in fighting terrorism.
The Iranian parliament speaker further reminded the threats posed by terrorism in the region, saying Afghanistan must not become a safe haven for terrorists.
Fighting terrorism in Afghanistan requires political stability, Larijani said, underlining the importance of joint action to combat terrorism.
The top Iranian official pointed to friendly relations between Iran and Afghanistan, calling for expansion of economic cooperation between the two countries.