Leaders vow to fight terror, drugs

TEHRAN (Reuters/AFP) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his counterparts from Afghanistan and Pakistan on Sunday declared their joint commitment to battling extremism and drug smuggling in the region.
Ahmadinejad, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistans President Asif Ali Zardari signed a document - the Tehran Declaration - under which they will work towards bringing security to the region.
All three nations, by relying on their strengths, good organisation and cooperation, can solve these issues, Ahmadinejad said at the summits closing session, referring to extremism and narcotics smuggling.
The Tehran Declaration is a serious declaration of comprehensive cooperation towards achieving the interests of all three nations.
Karzai, whose country is facing a fiery Taliban insurgency and is the worlds biggest producer of opium, said the summit was 'needed in this part of the world. We are faced with several problems, but there are also opportunities for finding a solution through dialogue and talks. We have to bring about security and stability for our future generations who live in the region.Zardari said Islamabad was committed to fighting the menace of 'terrorism, extremism and narcotics which has threatened the region.
We can tackle them through a comprehensive approach, he said. Ahmadinejad, referring to US-led forces in Afghanistan, told the summits opening session the presence of foreign forces had 'not succeeded in stabilising the region.
The three governments also wanted closer cooperation in agriculture, commerce, transport, health and energy.
Zardari on Sunday proposed that the next three-way summit be held in Pakistan which was welcomed by his Iranian and Afghan counterparts. He also called for a separate 'trilateral meeting on development.
Ahmadinejad attacked the presence of foreign forces in the region at the summit.
If we can save Pakistan and Afghanistan from these problems, from extremism ... then such trilateral meetings are meaningful, Afghan President Hamid Karzai told the summit in comments broadcast by Irans English-language Press TV. The problems come from amongst ourselves, he said.
But Ahmadinejad, who often rails against the West, took aim at outside intervention in the region, by others who are alien to the nations and culture of our nations.
Clearly referring to tens of thousands of US and troops from other countries based in Afghanistan and Iraq, he said they were pursuing their own interests. He said extremism, militarism and presence of foreign forces in the region are the most important problems now.
Although the presence of foreign forces in our region was under the pretext of establishing security ... it has not been much of a help to the establishment of permanent security and political and economic growth, Ahmadinejad said.
Today the three nations are suffering from drug and human trafficking which has put pressure on the three countries, Ahmadinejad told the gathering.
He said the region also faced other problems such as 'intervention and extremism which have been 'imposed on us from far away.
Karzai said the region is 'suffering from extremism, war and division among nations, but added that security can return if 'we cooperate fully and act like good neighbours.
We should expand our cooperation to fight terrorism and militarism, President Zardari said.
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari both headed high-level delegations.
Agencies add: President Zardari said the presence of superpowers escalates the tense situation in the region.
The region is facing different challenges, including that we allowed the superpowers to become our neighbour, but we are not seeking war, we are seeking for better neighbourliness, Zardari stated.
We have a responsibility towards the present and the future generations that is to respond to the history and we must take steps towards it, he underlined, stressing that the issues existing in the Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistans shared borders are very important to the three countries.
On this track, there is nothing that we are unable to do, we must use common potentials in order to create a better life for the next generation, he reiterated, urging the three countries to turn the events in a positive way.
The President said regional states are powerful enough to solve their own problems. He called for joint efforts by Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran to ensure regional stability and to combat terrorism and militancy.
We have to get together to tackle these challenges. It is not just the matter of our survival, but for the betterment and safety of our future generations, Zardari said.
We have necessary potentials to eliminate our problems, Zardari told the tripartite summit, IRNA reported.
He said he had taken part in the important and decisive Tehran meeting despite having many political occupations.
Thanking President Ahmadinejad for inviting him to the meeting, Zardari said a historical opportunity has been provided once again for heads of the three states to discuss major problems of the region.
He said Iran has experienced a big revolution, faced many problems and hosted Afghan refugees for long years.
There are many problems along our joint borders, Zardari said, noting, We can not underestimate the problems and we should look for solutions to all of them.
He maintained that there are no problems in the region that regional governments and nations cannot solve.
Today, we all have the duty to provide a better life for our future generations. Our present generation suffers identity and educational problems. If we do not care and do not provide a decent life for todays generations, we will actually do an injustice to them.
He added, We should admit the reality that today we have big neighbours and any country has enemies and friends and we should seek partnership of our friends within this framework. We should assure the world that we are part of solution and not part of problem.
Speaking at the summit, Iranian President Ahmadinejad said presence and interference of foreign forces unfamiliar with culture of the region are among major problems of the region.
Meanwhile, President Zardari and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad on Sunday agreed to further strengthen their existing bilateral ties, particularly in the energy, trade and economic fields, for the mutual benefit of two brotherly countries.
During the bilateral meeting held here on the sidelines of the maiden Pak-Afghan-Iran trilateral Summit hosted by Tehran, President Zardari and President Ahmedinejad held in-depth discussions that covered the entire gambit of bilateral ties and the regional and international issues of mutual interest.
The discussion also focused on the ways and means to further intensify their mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas of common interest. The two sides agreed on the need to expand, strengthen and take their bilateral cooperation in diverse fields to the level, which commensurate with their warm, deep-rooted and historic ties.
President Zardari along with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad also called on Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei here on Sunday.
During the joint call on the Iranian Supreme Leader by the Presidents of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, the matters relating to mutual interest as well as the challenges faced by Muslim Ummah were discussed.
During the interaction it was stressed to resolve the issues of Kashmir, Palestine and others in the Muslim world to ensure peace and harmony across the world.
It was also emphasised that the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) should be strengthened, activated and made more relevant to tackle the challenges faced by Muslim world.
Zardari and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai had a meeting here on Sunday on the sidelines of the trilateral summit hosted by Iran, and discussed the bilateral as well as the regional issues of mutual interest.
During the meeting, the two leaders had a detailed discussion on the security situation in the region, cooperation in the fight against terrorism and the issues of border control, with particular reference to militancy in the tribal region bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistani and the Afghan leaders in their meeting, held in a cordial environment, discussed various issues of mutual interest including the ways to jointly combat terrorism and militancy, which poses common threat to the peace and security of both the states as well as the region.
President Zardari reiterated his view of a regional approach and a joint strategy with the participation of regional countries, including Iran, to resolve the issuess and tackle the challenges in the region. The two leaders also deliberated on the bilateral cooperation in diverse fields including trade, economic and commercial fields.