Iran not to attend Afghan conference in London

Ramin Mehman-Parast cited several reasons behind Iran's absence in the conference.

He told Fars news agency that the conference was in line with western policies, which Iran says will not succeed. The conference would be focusing on more military action rather than exploring the real roots of the problem.

"Given the fact that the approach of the conference is in line with increasing military action, following double standards on [fighting] terrorism, overlooking the roots of problems and not using regional potentialities in solving the problems in Afghanistan," Iran believes that the conference would not yield fruitful results, Mehman-Parast said.

The foreign ministry spokesman added that to solve the problem, the infrastructures of the Afghan economy needed to be rebuilt, and extremism and drug trafficking had to be eradicated.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki had earlier said that Iran would take part in the conference only if its viewpoints are fully taken into consideration.

"If Iran's considerations on Afghanistan are completely taken into account in the final communiqué of the London conference, we will consider taking part in the gathering," Mottaki said.

The Afghanistan conference will be co-hosted by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and co-chaired by the UK and Afghan foreign ministers and the UN.

/Press TV/