Iran and Afghanistan have signed two memorandums of understanding to improve cooperation in different sectors.
The documents were inked between the two countries’ foreign ministries and also between Iran’s Ministry of Science, Research and Technology and Afghan Ministry of Higher Education in Tehran on Sunday.
They were signed in the presence of Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani and his visiting Afghan counterpart, Ashraf Ghani.
The Afghan president arrived in Tehran on Sunday at the head of a delegation on a two-day visit, the first since taking office in September. The 66-year-old leader was officially welcomed by President Rouhani at Saadabad cultural and historical complex.
Addressing a joint press conference with the Afghan president, Rouhani said Tehran and Kabul agreed to share intelligence on terrorism, violence and extremism in the region, particularly in border areas, and to conduct joint operations if need be.
The Iranian president added that the two sides also agreed to boost intelligence and security cooperation to counter drug trafficking rings and smuggling of narcotics that affect both Iran and Afghanistan.
The development comes as many observers in the Afghan capital believe that the US forces in Afghanistan begin its plans to withdraw from the country, leaving Afghan forces on the front lines against the Taliban.
[This story has been edited from the source material.]
