Speaking at a meeting with Australian Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Smith here in Tehran on Tuesday, Baqeri said that "support for the Muslim Afghan people and continued efforts to help restore stability and reinvigorate the central government in Kabul constitute the Islamic Republic of Iran's principled policy on Afghanistan".
"The Islamic Republic of Iran will spare no effort to help the Afghan brothers and sisters and continues to abide by this policy," the Iranian official stressed.
Baqeri further stated that "handing Afghanistan's affairs to the Afghans, rapid and full withdrawal of occupying forces, and aid and assistance to an all-around economic and social development and reconstruction of the country" are the essential ways of restoring peace and security in Afghanistan.
He also pointed to 10 years of foreign invasion and occupation of Afghanistan under the pretext of war on terrorism, and reminded that after all these years "not just peace and stability have not been restored in the country, but the extent of insecurities has also grown and production of narcotics increased enormously."
The Australian envoy, for his part, stressed Iran's key role in the region and called for further and continued consultations between the two countries over the Afghan issue.
Iran has always urged for a regional approach towards the settlement of problems in Afghanistan, and called on the Kabul government to pave the way for the withdrawal of the alien forces from the country.
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