Kabul, 2007 Aug 14, IRIB 

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai on Tuesday held joint press conference in Kabul.

The two sides expressed satisfaction over their talks and assessed it as positive.

"The two neighbour and brother nations of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Afghanistan with the joint history, culture and civilization will stand together for ever," the two presidents underlined.

Pointing to the close relations between IRI and Afghanistan, specially in the past five years, Karzai said that the Afghan nation will be grateful forever toward the Iranian government and nation over their all-out aid to Afghanistan.

Referring to signing of new agreements with IRI, the Afghan president said that "with these agreements, mutual ties between Tehran and Kabul will be deepened and that is another step towards the Afghan nations' welfare."

For his part, President Ahmadinejad pointed to the old history of friendship and brotherhood between the two nations, and said that "the Iranian nation will stand near its Afghan brothers and sisters."

"IRI is hosting 2,500,000 Afgans who have been living in Iran since the past years in peace and without any problem. They have enjoyed equal rights along with their Iranian brothers and sisters," President Ahmadinejad reiterated.

"We strongly support the political process in Afghanistan for the establishment of security and progress in the country," he underlined.

President Ahmadinejad said that IRI wishes a powerful and developed government in Afghanistan, adding that "A powerful and developed Afghanistan is the best friend for IRI."