The presidents of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan, Hamid Karzai (left), Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (centre) and Asif Ali Zardari, arrive for a trilateral summit in Tehran yesterday. Fighting terrorism and drug trafficking topped the agenda.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attacked the presence of foreign forces in the region at a summit with his Afghan and Pakistani counterparts on Sunday aimed at tackling terrorism and other security problems.
The three neighbours’ first such meeting, which ended with pledges of cooperation, but without any specific measures being announced, took place as Pakistan and Afghanistan are battling to stem the spread of Taliban insurgencies in their countries.
Iran and Pakistan border Afghanistan and have a large stake in its stability because the impact of a flourishing drugs trade, decades of violence, and millions of refugees have often spilled across borders.
Although it is a long-time foe of Iran, the United States is also pushing for a more regional approach against the growing strength of Taliban-linked militants in Afghanistan, one of the areas where Washington is seeking to engage Tehran.
"If we can save Pakistan and Afghanistan from these problems, from extremism … then such trilateral meetings are meaningful," Afghan President Hamid Karzai told the summit in comments broadcast by Iran’s English-language Press TV.
"The problems come from amongst ourselves," he said.
But Ahmadinejad, who often rails against the west, took aim at outside intervention in the region, "by others who are alien to the nations and culture."
Clearly referring to tens of thousands of US and mostly Nato troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, he said they were pursuing their own interests.
The United States is pouring thousands more troops into Afghanistan this year to try to reverse gains by a resurgent Taliban, particularly in its southern heartland.
"Although the presence of foreign forces in our region was under the pretext of establishing security … it has not been much of a help to the establishment of permanent security and political and economic growth," Ahmadinejad said.