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Iran, Afghanistan to boost trade

By HEIDI VOGT and RAHIM FAIEZ – 5 hours ago

KABUL (AP) — Iran's vice president offered increased trade and investment to Afghanistan on Thursday, saying Iranian businessmen are ready to pour funds into railroads, agriculture and infrastructure projects.

Parviz Davoudi was visiting Afghanistan with a delegation of government officials and private investors. Davoudi and Afghan President Hamid Karzai agreed to work to expand trade and business ties between the two countries, the president's office said in a statement.

Afghanistan and its neighbor to the west share close cultural and linguistic ties, and many Afghans took refuge in Iran when fleeing the Taliban regime. Iran, a mostly Shiite Muslim nation, welcomed the overthrow of the largely Sunni Taliban in 2001, but Afghanistan's strong reliance on U.S. forces and money since then has pressured relations between the countries.

"The priority of our foreign policy is strong social, economic, cultural and political relations with our neighbors," Davoudi told reporters after the meeting.

"Insecurity and instability of Afghanistan is our insecurity and instability, progress and

development in Afghanistan is our progress and development," he added.

Davoudi said Iranian investors were particularly interested in helping build a railway running from the western Afghan city of Herat into Iran. Karzai welcomed Davoudi's message and pledge to work with Iran to increase economic cooperation, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the Afghan government issued a statement welcoming President Barack Obama's decision to send 17,000 more troops to the country as part of a plan to increase U.S. focus on a conflict that has worsened in recent years.

"This decision is important for the country's upcoming elections, and it shows the strong support of the United States for the fight against terrorism and U.S. support of the Afghan government," said a Foreign Ministry statement.

Afghanistan is slated to hold presidential elections in August, and the hope is that additional troops will help provide much-needed security. The statement said the troops should be used to secure the volatile Pakistan border areas, where the Taliban are strong.