Tasnim � Ebrahim Taherian, a special assistant to Iran�s Foreign Minister in Afghan affairs, held extensive negotiations with senior Afghan officials and with the UN chief�s special representative for Afghanistan during a visit to Kabul.

During the trip, made a few days ago, Taherian and the delegation accompanying him met with high-ranking officials of the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, including President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, Head of High Council for National Reconciliation Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, and acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Haneef Atmar.

He also held talks with National Security Adviser of Afghanistan Hamdullah Mohib, former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan Deborah Lyons as well as some other Afghan political leaders.

In all these meetings, the Iranian diplomat highlighted the unity of the political forces of Afghanistan and the importance of establishing peace as a prelude to security and measurable sustainable development, according to the Foreign Ministry�s website.

For their part, the high-ranking officials of Afghanistan, especially the president of the country, appreciated the support of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the peace process within the framework of the republic and the constitution, and called for the continuation of this strategy and further consultations between the two countries.

In her meeting with Taherian, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan Deborah Lyons hailed Iran�s support for the UN in assisting the Afghan peace process in the context of intra-Afghan talks, and called for continued reinforcement of the role of regional countries, especially those of Afghanistan�s neighbors, in different fields, especially in supporting the Afghan nation and government.