Iran and US have preliminary talks on sidelines

March 31, 4:26 PMForeign Policy ExaminerAimee Kligman

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Foreign Policy Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gestures during a press conference at the Afghanistan Conference in The Hague, Netherlands, Tuesday March 31, 2009. A 72-nation conference on Afghanistan will launch a broader international commitment to the security of the region, including neighboring Pakistan, special U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke said Monday. The hastily convened conference brings together all the countries bordering Afghanistan, including Iran, and all nations contributing troops to the NATO-led international force fighting Taliban insurgents. (AP Photo/Bas Czerwinski)

On the sidelines of a special conference at the Hague being held for the Afghanistan issue under the auspices of NATO, Richard Holbrooke met with Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Akhundzadeh.

The meeting between the two men was described as 'cordial' by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Mr. Akhundzadeh was critical of President Obama's latest strategy to send 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, saying that the situation had not shown any improvement. Iran is recommending that foreign aid should be used to train Afghan police and armed forces, and that focus be kept on providing development and security rather than on military and/or political response.

He also indicated that the major threats facing Afghanistan today are terrorism and narcotics. These threats are likely to spill beyond Afghan borders therefore, Iran feels that regional cooperation of those sharing a border with Afghanistan is essential to blunt and prevent smugglers from accessing target consumer markets.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, who also spoke with the Iranian foreign minister, indicated that the international community and Iran have much in common when it comes to Afghanistan; for one, they are dire enemies of al-Qaeda and the Taliban. So far, there appears to be a consensus on the issues of development, narcotics control and security. Iran has absorbed 3 million Afghan refugees and worked with the Afghans on infrastructure, education, and communication systems.

For her part, Secretary Clinton delivered a letter to the Iranian government which is asking for the release of two American citizens which are being held, and one which is believed 'missing'. These include an American retired FBI agent, a journalist and a California graduate student.

This is huge.

Special Report: Obama's First 100 Days
Exclusive examiner.com coverage of the Obama administration's promise to bring about change.

• Transcript: President Obama discusses economy in news conference
• Vote now: What will Obama change most?
• The Obama Administration at a glance
• Examiner Coverage: AIG Bonuses