TEHRAN -- Iranian Interior Minister has said that the campaign against terrorism would prove futile if Afghanistan does not make all-out efforts to fight drug trafficking.

Mostafa Mohammad Najjar made the remarks during a meeting with Afghanistan’s First Vice President Marshal Muhammad Qasim Fahim in Kabul on Wednesday.
Najjar said, “I believe that the campaign against terrorism and organized crimes without Afghans’ comprehensive fight against drug smuggling is a vain effort.”
He also stated that the efforts to fight poppy cultivation are lagging behind the Afghan farmers’ determination to cultivate poppies.
Najjar also announced Iran’s readiness to help the Afghan farmers grow replacement crops.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Najjar said that 280,000 Afghan students are studying in Iran and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has taken several measures so that the illegal Afghan refugees would be able to continue their studies and enjoy insurance coverage.
The Iranian minister went on to say that the recent parliamentary election held in Afghanistan was a positive step toward encouraging the Afghan people to take part in political affairs of the country.
U.S. decision to build bases in Afghanistan must be studied carefully
During the meeting, Fahim commented on the U.S. decision to establish long-term military bases in Afghanistan.
“The issue of the establishment of permanent military bases in Afghanistan must be dealt with carefully so that it would not endanger the interests of the Afghan people and our neighboring countries,” he said.
The remarks by Fahim came after the recent visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to Kabul during which he announced that Washington was keen on building a long-term relationship with Kabul.
Fahim also described security cooperation between Tehran and Kabul as “very good”, saying, “The cooperation between the two countries is influential in shaping the destiny of the region and the entire world.”