Iran says not to attend London conference on Afghanistan
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Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast said Wednesday that Iran will not attend the London conference on Afghanistan which will be held on Thursday, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
"Since the approach of this conference is still towards increasing military actions in Afghanistan ... and since it does not take into consideration the root cause of the problems in Afghanistan and does not take advantage of the regional capacities to solve those problems, Iran does not consider it necessary to attend this conference," Mehman-Parast told Fars.
Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Jan. 21 that Tehran will take part in the conference on Afghanistan in London providing that its viewpoints are fully taken into consideration.
He did not elaborate the details of Iran's conditions, but Iran has already called on the NATO forces in Afghanistan to leave the country and allow the Afghan people to defend themselves with the help of regional countries.
The international conference on Afghanistan will discuss a tentative timetable to switch security duties from foreign troops to Afghan government and work on efforts to persuade Taliban fighters to reconcile with the government, British ambassador to Kabul Mark Sedwill said on Jan. 20.
Foreign ministers of around 60 countries, including Iran, have been invited to the conference.
