TEHRAN – The Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Deborah Lyons held a meeting with Iran’s Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian on Sunday to discuss expansion of cooperation between the two sides.

The officials discussed issues regarding the economic cooperation between Iran and Afghanistan and the role of this international organization in facilitating this cooperation, IRIB reported.

Speaking in the meeting, Lyons underlined great potentials for mutual cooperation between the two sides and voiced the United Nations’ readiness for participation in facilitating joint cooperation.

The Iranian minister for his part expressed satisfaction with Lyons’ visit to Tehran after her appointment as the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and mentioned various needs of this country and the abundant professional and economic capacities of the Islamic Republic of Iran to contribute to scientific, industrial and economic progress in Afghanistan.

Ardakanian, who is also the chairman of the Iran-Afghanistan Joint Economic Committee, emphasized the development of cooperation between the two countries in the fields of energy, customs, economy, and other fields related to this committee, and called for sustainable development and regional security.

At the end of the meeting, it was decided that the two sides will continue necessary coordination through the Iranian Energy Ministry’s Center for International Affairs, in order to accelerate and better guide the process of cooperation between the ministry and UNAMA.

Back in October, Chairman of Afghan Peace Council Abdullah Abdullah had said that there are great potentials for economic cooperation between Iran and Afghanistan and called for the expansion of trade ties.

Speaking in a joint press conference with Ardakanian, Abdullah Abdullah said there are favorable grounds and capacities for the expansion of mutual cooperation, and the establishment of the two countries’ joint economic committee has been a positive step in this direction.

Abdullah noted that the two governments emphasize accelerating mutual efforts between the two sides, adding: “Given the needs of the Afghan people and the good capacities that exist, we will have a very good future, especially with the realization of peace in Afghanistan.”

EF/MA