Iran, Afghanistan discuss border accident in Harirud

Kabul, May 26, IRNA – Iranian delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Mohsen Baharvand in a meeting with Afghan diplomats discussed issues related to recent border accident. According to Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry, a high-ranking Iranian delegation arrived in Kabul on Tuesday morning to review the border accident with Afghan Hanif Atmar. It added that the Iranian delegation also delivered anti-COVID19 consignment, including medical equipment to Kabul. Atmar appreciated Iran's cooperation with Afghanistan people and government in the time of coronavirus outbreak. He presented documents on the recent accident and urged the Iranian government to pay more attention to joint research. Atmar noted that such research is aimed at finding facts, legal proceedings against its perpetrators, and taking necessary measures to prevent such tragedies in the future. Meanwhile, Baharvand expressed regret over the accident and condemned it. Referring to brotherly relations between Iranian and Afghan governments and people, he said such an accident is not acceptable for Iran. Iran is committed to address the issue in partnership with Afghan delegation, he noted. Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Afghan counterpart Mohammad Hanif Atmar in a phone conversation reviewed issues related to human tragedy that happened for Afghan immigrants in Harirud. Some media have released a video in which a person claimed that some people who entered Iran illegally were arrested and forced them to go into the river by the Iranian border guards. Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said that the tragedy for Afghan nationals happened inside Afghanistan soil and Iranian border guards rejected such an accident in Iran. Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Ministry in a message stressed Iran’s strong relations with Afghanistan, saying the US allegations against Iran with regard to accident in Herat is a bitter joke. “What happened to Afghan nationals in Herat is tragic & unrelated to, but the US regime's allegations against Iran is a 'bitter joke',” it added. "The US regime is a war criminal in Afghanistan & state sponsor of terrorism across the world," Foreign Ministry noted. Iranian Foreign Ministry’s message was released in reaction to the US embassy in Kabul which had used the accident as a tool saying: "We share the concerns of the Afghan government, civil society, and people about reports of killings and abuse against Afghan migrants along the border with Iran." It also supported Kabul's decision to launch an investigation about the issue.