Afghan peace much dependent on neighbors' positive role

Kabul, IRNA – Afghanistan in Central Asia has been involved in a kind of civil war for many years and experts and politicians believe that victory of sustainable peace and stability in this country depends on neighbors' cooperation and positive role. Establishing sustainable peace and stability in Afghanistan not only depends on the honest cooperation of the international community but also on the attitudes of countries like Iran and Pakistan - which consider Afghan peace and stability as their own - and not those trans-regional states which think solely about their political aims in this region. Accordingly, the Afghan government and people should not underestimate the role of regional countries in materializing peace. Iran is one of the most important neighbors for Afghanistan which has so far had friendly relations with the country within the framework of mutual cooperation which focuses on solving challenges. Iran has spared no efforts in establishing and boosting political, cultural, social, economic and immigration cooperation with Afghanistan. So a number of Afghan political experts believe that Iran has a significant role in maintaining sustainable stability and peace in Afghanistan. The former member of Afghanistan House of the People Saleh Mohammad Saljoughi believes that Iran's cooperation and support for the Afghan government and people over the last four decades of war and insecurity is undeniable. If the Afghan government and people want to establish permanent peace and stability and put an end to war and bloodshed in Afghanistan, they should pay attention to the interests of neighboring countries like Iran and Pakistan, he added. Meanwhile, a student of political sciences at Kabul University Mohammad Ali Ahmadi told IRNA that the ongoing visit of the Chairman of Afghan Peace Council Abdullah Abdullah to Tehran indicates the importance of Iran's role in establishing peace in Afghanistan. Although the US is now in control of the current situation in Afghanistan, the role of neighbors will become more important in preserving peace in long term. He said that Abdullah should assure Iran that the Afghan government and people will not forget Iran's role and inform Iranians of the latest peace developments. Iran should also be aware of the fact that a stable Afghanistan is also of prime importance for Tehran, Kabul's neighbors and the region, he said, adding that stability and security in Afghanistan will bring about great economic development to the region and will create big transit network between Central Asia, South Asia and Iran. In the meantime, a member of the Afghan Parliament, Sayyed Jamal Fakouri Beheshti termed the ongoing visit of Abdullah to Tehran as promising and highlighted it as the solution for the impasse which continues in Doha, Qatar. Though there is some consensus in the national process, it has not been established as expected at the regional and international levels, he said. The Afghan official added that Afghanistan feels dubious about America's real goal for claiming that it seeks a lasting peace in the country. "The role of Iran and Pakistan in the Afghan peace process is of great importance, given the fact that Iran has always supported the Government and people of Afghanistan," he noted. Abdullah arrived in Tehran on Sunday for a three-day visit and a meeting with high-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran on expanding bilateral relations and the ways to develop Afghanistan's peace and stability processes. A delegation of high-level national reconciliation council officials, members of parliament, and officials from the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs accompany Abdullah during the visit.