Iranian teams visit to Afghanistan has no political motive: Tehran

ISLAMABAD (NNI): Iran has said that the two-member delegation of the Iranian Foreign Ministry to war-ravaged Afghanistan has no political motives.

The delegation sent to Afghanistan Sunday would visit Iranian embassy and Consulates in Kabul, Herat and Jalalabad. Sources close to Iran in Islamabad and Radio Tehran have said that the Iranian Foreign Ministry sent back its Consul General to Herat to pave the ground for the visit of an Iranian Foreign Ministry delegation besides collecting information on the ongoing situation in Afghanistan.

Although the Iranian officials says that the visit of the Foreign Ministry team has no political motive but the Iranian President Mohammad Khatami had announced fresh efforts for ending Afghan war few days ago. The Iranian Foreign Minister had stated that Mohammad Khatami who is also Chairman of the Organization of Islamic Conference had asked the Foreign Ministry to take early steps for the settlement of the Afghan conflict.

The Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi told the Iranian news agency, IRNA that he would be in touch with the Afghan factions, neighbouring countries of Afghanistan and member states of the OIC for the resolution of the Afghan problem.

Taliban have not yet commented on the return of the Iranian Consul General to Herat but Taliban Foreign Minister Maulvi Wakil Ahmed Mutawakel had demanded direct talks with Tehran last month. Iran is still recognizing the toppled government of Rabbani.