The Ambassador to Tehran from Afghanistan, Nasir Ahmad Nour, highlighted how important Iran is in the recent developments that are taking place in Afghanistan. He said that Iran is one of the most important countries that presently have friendly ties with Afghanistan.
Also, Iran is providing aid to the development and reconstruction projects that are taking p.lace in Afghanistan. Iran has also provided refuge and education to a large number of Afghan nationals who were displaced during the war. On the recent Afghan Independence Day held on the 19th of August, several managers and businessmen attended the celebrations that were held in the Embassy of Afghanistan located in Tehran.
The Government of Afghanistan is keen on developing and improving ties with Iran and wants to have better relations both at political and economic levels. The similarities between Iran and Afghanistan go back a long way, and they have a similar culture, language and history. The new President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani has vowed to improve the ties of Iran with Afghanistan.
As per Nasir Ahmad Nour, both the governments have entered a partnership by signing new agreements that are strategic. The ties have largely improved off late, as the President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, had also attended the swearing in ceremony of Hassan Rouhani. Iran is aiding Afghanistan and is improving its economy as it does not want the United States to influence Afghanistan.
Iran has offered incentives on economic deals so that the influence of United States is not seen much in Afghanistan. The trade between both the nations have flourished greatly ever since Taliban was thrown off power in 2001. The late Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi however, was supporting Taliban and Mujahideen that were based in Afghanistan.
In the last two decades, millions of Afghan nationals sought refuge in Iran and were put up in the camps that were being set up by the Government of Iran along with the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR). The residents of these camps are now receiving free health care and education in Iran and also, the ministers of Afghanistan have passed out from several universities in Iran.