Iran, Afghanistan agree on defense cooperation

Iran and Afghanistan signed a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation.The memorandum was signed by Iran's deputy defense minister and his Afghan counterpart at the end of the first commission of Iran-Afghanistan joint defense cooperation in Tehran. According to the agreement, Iran and Afghanistan reiterated the importance of bolstering bilateral cooperation towards the promotion of peace, stability and security in the war-ravaged country as well as the entire region. The two sides also pledged to boost cooperation in educational, logistical, technical and engineering fields. Afghan defense ministry spokesman General Zahir Azimi said the joint defense commission of Iran and Afghanistan was formed following the visit of Iranian defense minister to Kabul. This comes as the Iran officials recently summoned the Afghan ambassador to Iran to protest at the violation of Iranian airspace by a US drone using the Afghan soil. But Gen. Zahir Azimi said, Afghan deputy foreign minister Gen. Humayoun Fauzi's visit to Iran was pre-planned and does not have any relations with the US drone violation of Iranian airspace.