Afghan president wraps up visit to Iran

Afghan President Hamid Karzai concluded on Monday a two-day visit to Iran during which the two sides agreed to further bilateral ties, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Seven agreements and memorandums of understanding were signed on exchange of prisoners, extradition of criminals, promotion of investment, reconstruction of the war-torn Afghanistan as well as cooperation in cultural, judicial and economic fields.

During his visit, Karzai conferred with Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other senior officials.

The two sides also exchanged views on regional and international developments, the report said.

Karzai's visit came amid speculations that he would mediate between Tehran and Washington on the current nuclear standoff. But Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi dismissed the report as baseless.

Tehran is under intense international pressure to give up its uranium enrichment and the United States accuses Iran of using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to achieve an atomic bomb.

Iran denies the charge and insists its nuclear program is only for peaceful end.

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany are mulling an European proposal to offer Iran a package of incentives in return for Iran's suspension of its enrichment- related activities.

But Iran has repeatedly rejected any such proposal, saying it has legal right to peaceful nuclear energy.

Source: Xinhua