The head of the transitional government of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, on Tuesday praised the role of the Islamic Republic in recent developments in Afghanistan, especially Tehran's cooperation in holding the Loya Jirga traditional assembly, which on June 13 elected him as head of state for the next 18 months.

Karzai's emphasis on Iran's positive role once again refuted the allegations often leveled by some U.S. officials like the U.S. president's Afghan envoy Zalmay Khalilzad accusing Tehran of interfering in Afghanistan's internal affairs.

Iran was one of the countries that participated in the Bonn Conference as an observer in December last year and actively supported the peace process and formation of the interim government in Afghanistan. Furthermore, the Loya Jirga, or Grand Assembly of Elders, which played a significant role in laying out the political future of that country, also received firm backing from the Islamic Republic.

In fact, President Mohammad Khatami was the first president in the world who congratulated Karzai on his election as president by the Loya Jirga.

Khatami described the election as a sign of the Afghan nation's total trust in Karzai.

It goes without saying that peace, security and stability in Afghanistan are of great significance to Tehran, as they have a direct effect on Iran as well as on the entire region. This is why Iran treats security in Afghanistan as its own security and in line with its own national interests. This fact becomes even more clear, considering that the two countries have a long 945km common border.

No wonder, during the past two decades of unrest and instability in Afghanistan, including the 1979-1989 occupation of that country by Soviet forces, the four years of fratricidal war from 1992 to 1996 and the subsequent five-year rule of the reactionary Taleban militia, Iran was affected the most by developments in its neighboring country and hosted the largest number of Afghan refugees during these years.

As a result, the Islamic Republic has always tried to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan, extending all kinds of support to the Afghan nation and its government. Tehran's unfettered support for Kabul is a natural result of numerous historical, cultural and religious affinities between the Iranian and Afghan nations, which have prepared a suitable ground for wider cooperation and more extensive relations between the two countries.

Tehran strongly supported the Loya Jirga election so as to help the nascent democratic process in Afghanistan become firmly rooted. Fortunately, the lineup of the transitional government also indicates that Karazi has been fairly successful in forming a broad-based and balanced government with the participation of all ethnic groups in that country.

Despite U.S. allegations and propaganda that are clearly aimed at undermining friendly ties between Iran and Afghanistan, the two nations, enjoying numerous age-old affinities, are determined to further expand their relations and cooperation based on mutual interests.