TEHRAN -- In a meeting with visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai here on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki expressed satisfaction over the improvement in relations between the two countries.

He also said that various factors such as geographic proximity, common interests, and their common language, as well as the affordability and high quality of Iranian products and technical-engineering services, can pave the way for the development of Afghanistan.

Mottaki spoke of the Afghan nation’s years of struggle against foreign occupiers throughout history and expressed hope that their national goal of total independence would be realized in the near future.

The current consultations between high-ranking Afghan, Pakistani, and Iranian officials can pave the way for trilateral consultations between the three countries’ foreign ministers, which would definitely help improve conditions in Afghanistan, he noted.

Mottaki also stated that strengthening trade and energy cooperation as well as participating in reconstruction projects in Afghanistan can provide appropriate means for the development of interaction between Iran and Afghanistan.

For his part, the Afghan president lauded Iran for its constructive role in Afghanistan and said that Kabul welcomes Tehran’s initiative to organize a trilateral conference between Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan in order to improve the standard of living in Afghanistan.