Iran spares no effort to help Afghanistan: Zarif
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
United Nations, Aug 24, IRNA
Iran-Zarif-Afghanistan
Iran's permanent Representative to the United Nations, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said here Tuesday Iran will not spare any efforts to help Afghanistan hold the upcoming parliamentary election successfully.
Addressing a UN Security Council meeting, Zarif said despite efforts made in economic and social fields, Afghanistan still faces big challenges.
He expressed hope the parliamentary election in Afghanistan would be held freely and on schedule in September.
He mentioned insecurity, terrorist acts and cultivation of narcotics as the main issues of concern with respect to Afghanistan's development. These measures disturb the trend of the country's reconstruction.
Zarif laid emphasis on security as a prerequisite for
the reconstruction as well as political and economic development of Afghanistan and expressed Tehran's concern over the spread of violence and terrorist threats particularly in the southern and southeastern parts of the country.
These threats mainly stem from instigation by the Taliban, al-Qaeda members and drug smugglers.
"We believe top priority should be given to empowering Afghanistan's national army and police and strengthening of the central government's authority to fight against insecurity, terrorist acts and factors behind violation of law," he said.
The ambassador expressed Tehran's growing concern over the expansion of narcotics cultivation in Afghanistan, saying, "Increase in drug smuggling will have a direct and devastating effect on Afghanistan's reconstruction, security and stability. It also poses a major threat to the security and stability of neighboring states including Iran.
"We believe there is a close and reciprocal connection between terrorist acts and insecurity and smuggling of illicit drugs because they strengthen each other. Besides these threats would
increase other crimes beyond borders."
He touched on a recent report by the United Nations on an increase in addiction rate and AIDS in Afghanistan and in the region, saying, "We appreciate certain measures adopted by the Afghan government to tackle the threat posed by narcotics.
"We believe effective campaign against this plight demands commitment and sincere efforts by the international community and the Afghan government as well as codification and implementation of a comprehensive, broad-based and firm strategy.
"Tehran believes such a strategy should be materialized through close cooperation of the Afghan government with the international community."
Zarif said the United States as a country with the highest number of military forces in Afghanistan and Britain as the coordinator of anti-drug campaign in that country should shoulder special responsibility in the fight against cultivation and smuggling of illicit drugs and should act more seriously in this respect.
The ambassador outlined Iran's anti-drug measures, saying, "Some 3,400 Iranian police forces have been martyred in this connection during the past two decades.
"But to continue its fight against narcotics smuggling, international support and cooperation of neighboring states will be inevitable for Iran.
"The Islamic Republic, as a frontline country in the anti-drug campaign, has always cooperated with the international community sincerely and has been active in implementation of projects replacing poppy cultivation in Afghanistan.
"Despite Iran's costly fight against smuggling of narcotics, we witnessed an increase in drug smuggling from Afghanistan last year."
He urged the international community to increase its assistance to Afghanistan in order to speed up reconstruction of the country in all fields since drug cultivation has been turned into a main source of income for Afghan farmers.
"In Tokyo conference, the Islamic Republic granted a
560-million-dollar credit package to Afghanistan, the highest figure ever allocated to that country with regard to per capita income.
"Iran has actively participated in Afghanistan reconstruction and has carried out various infrastructure projects there particularly in the fields of electricity, road construction and manpower training."
Tehran has so far granted 170 million dollars for Afghanistan reconstruction, he said.
"Tehran has hosted some three million Afghan refugees for over three decades. With regards to the change in conditions, Iran expected grounds would be prepared for more voluntary repatriation.
It has not been materialized yet.
"Despite materialization of a tripartite agreement between Iran, Afghanistan and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the trend of Afghan refugees repatriation has not been as satisfactory as Tehran expected."
2327/1414
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
