IRNA � Foreign minister on Monday appointed a veteran diplomat as Iran's special assistant for Afghanistan.

Mohammad Javad Zarif appointed Mohammad Ebrahim Taherian as his special assistant for Afghanistan affairs.

Taherian has previously served as Iran's ambassador to Afghanistan, Bosnia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Croatia, and Turkey.

Afghanistan and Iran as two neighboring Muslim states share many cultural ties. The two countries have also high-level political and economic relations and Afghanistan has been a major destination for Iranian commodities.