Afghan official: Afghanistan ready to fight terrorism in region

Afghanistan National Security Adviser while speaking at the Second Regional Security Dialogue conference held in Tehran on Wednesday has said that the country will continue to work with the countries of the region to fight terrorism.

Iran PressIran News: Hamdollah Moheb thanked the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani for hosting the meeting.

He went on to say that the meeting was the best opportunity to discuss and make a high-level decision on strengthening security and establishing lasting peace in the region, Iran Press reported.

"Our region is of paramount importance in regional and international relations both in terms of opportunities and threats," Hamdollah Moheb underlined.

He also considered diverse sources of energy, finding key energy routes to the rest of the world, workforce, young people, commodity and commerce as the exceptional opportunities for the region.

Afghanistan National Security Adviser referred to the threats of terrorism, violent extremism, drugs and some governments' support for non-state actors as disruptive security elements in the region, adding: "Unfortunately, Afghanistan is one of the countries in the region that has suffered the most from regional threats, despite the progress made over the recent years."

"Today, the Afghan Defense and Security Forces are not only fighting for security and lasting peace within the country, but are also fighting for regional security and stability," he noted.

Afghanistan National Security Advisor highlighted the importance of government agencies' and Afghans' support of defense forces, which has led to Afghan heroes' success.

Moheb cited the surrender of hundreds of ISIS terrorists in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan last November, describing it as a sign of the strong will and capacity of the Afghan forces.

The Afghan government's representative at the Second Regional Security Dialogue described the Taliban as a ground for terrorist activity in the region, including Central Asia, the Caucasus region, South Asia, Arab countries, China, Iran, and even more distant countries, urging for resolving Taliban's issue.

At the meeting, Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani expressed concern over the possibility of ISIS revival in Afghanistan.

Condemning the tension and instability in the country, he blamed any action against the Afghan legal government for the benefit of terrorist groups and US illegitimate interests.

He stated that the expansion of relations with neighbors, especially with Afghanistan, is a priority of the Islamic Republic of Iran's foreign policy, noting that no foreign factor should negatively affect Tehran-Kabul good relations.

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