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Warming Ties with Pakistan, Iran Reopens Heart Consulate
TEHRAN, Nov. 19 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Iran reopened its consulate in the western Afghan city of Herat on Monday, following last week's ouster of the Taliban from the city.
"The [Iranian] consulate in Herat has taken up its activities in Herat again," said head of the consulate, Mohammad Alavizadeh, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
"The consulate was closed since May 4 because of attacks by the Taliban," he said, adding, however, it would take two months before the mission could start to issue entry visas for Afghans.
Iran had recalled its diplomats and closed the consulate in Herat after protesters attacked the mission following a bomb blast outside a mosque. Then, the Taliban blamed Iranian Shia Muslims for the explosion in which an exiled Iranian Sunni Muslim scholar, Moussa Karimpour, and nine others were killed.
Iran denied involvement in the blast and demanded the arrest of those responsible for the attack on its consulate.
Tehran has never recognized the Taliban, and the Herat consulate was its only official link with the Taliban, which seized power in Kabul in 1996.
On Saturday, the government-run Iran Daily paper said Tehran would soon reopen its embassy in the Afghan capital.
Iranian foreign ministry officials have reportedly been making their way by road into Afghanistan to also prepare for the reopening of Iran's consulate in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif.
Tehran recognizes the government of ousted president Burhanuddin Rabbani.
In another related development, and in Islamabad, Iran's deputy foreign minister for asia-pacific affairs, Mohsen Aminzadeh, and Pakistan's foreign affairs secretary, Inamul Haq, Monday stressed increased interaction on issues of mutual interests, reported the Iranian News Agency (IRNA).
Aminzadeh led the Iranian side, while Inam headed the Pakistani side during lengthy discussions on bilateral relations, and the regional situation, with particular reference to the political future of Afghanistan.
Both Aminzadeh and Inamul shared unanimity of view on the need for further increased interaction and cooperation between the two "brotherly" countries on issues concerning mutual interests, IRNA reported.
Aminzadeh arrived in the Pakistani capital Monday morning.
Both sides believe that a true multi-ethnic representative government could restore sustained peace in Afghanistan.
Iran's interior minister, Abdolvahed Mousavi-Lari, had paid a three-day visit to Islamabad and held fruitful frank discussions with President General Pervez Musharraf and his counterpart, Moinuddin Haider.
Lari and Haider were of the view that Tehran and Islamabad could play a key role towards efforts aimed at formation of a broad-based government in Afghanistan.
Aminzadeh is believed to be discussing with Pakistani leaders the forthcoming visit of Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi next month to Islamabad.
The Iranian deputy foreign minister is likely to call on Musharraf and also meet Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar during his stay in Pakistan.
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