Iran’s Foreign Minister Visits Kabul

Afghan Voice Agency(AVA), Meeting with Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, Zarif emphasized on the need for cooperation and resolution of water issue and called “resolution of the problem beneficial to environment of both the countries,” according to a press release from Iranian foreign ministry.

Referring to the fight against terrorism, Zarif said that there is no such thing as good terrorists and bad terrorists.

The sides also discussed border problems to facilitate travel of the nationals of the two countries.

At a joint press conference following the meeting, Rabbani said that Afghanistan wants neighboring countries to work on dismantling the sources of funding of terror groups.

“Afghanistan believes we would not be witness to sustainable security in the region if we don’t destroy terrorists’ hideouts in the region by putting pressure on their supporters,” he said.

Calling Iran fourth top trade partner of Afghanistan, Rabbani said that the sides emphasized on boosting cooperation in the areas of politics, economy and transit.

Afghanistan and Iran inked an agreement in 1973 to share the water, with Afghanistan obliged to channel at least 22 cubic meters per second to Iran from Helmand River.

Last month, Afghanistan inaugurated construction of Phase 3 of Kamal Khan Dam in Nimroz province, which likely angered Iran.

However, President Ashraf Ghani has stressed on the implementation of 1973 water treaty.

“In the Afghan-Iranian treaty, the amount of water that Iran should use from Helmand River is specified, and it has no right to get beyond that,” Ghani had said in January.

During the visit, Zarif also met with President Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah.