TEHRAN – Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, on Tuesday in a meeting with Afghan CEO Abdullah Abdullah stressed that Iran attaches great importance to the security and progress of its Eastern neighbor.

"Iran and Afghanistan enjoy abundant capacities for cooperation and the Islamic Republic of Iran assumes Afghanistan's security, tranquility and progress as its own security and progress," Ayatollah Khamenei said in the meeting in Tehran.

He lauded the idea of forming the NUG, and said, "God willing, the national unity government will find its true and real shape since establishment of real unity among tribes and officials in the only real solution to the problems of Afghanistan."

Ayatollah Khamenei underscored the necessity for any country, including Afghanistan, to strengthen its defensive capabilities, and said, "We have seen the killing of large numbers of people by the Americans in Afghanistan and the abundant damage inflicted by them and they are still continuing their deeds."

Abdullah, for his part, appreciated Iran's assistance to Afghanistan in hard days, and said there are many good fields for cooperation between Tehran and Kabul which should be discussed and studied by the two sides' officials.

Iran is one of the most important donors to Afghanistan, which has kept its promises to help to the reconstruction of the war-ravaged country.

Iran has built several roads, power transmission lines, border stations and many other infrastructure projects to better link the two nations.

Iran has also contributed more than $50mln annually to Afghan anti-narcotics efforts during the last five years.

Tehran has repeatedly called for a withdrawal of the US-led foreign troops from Afghanistan, stressing that establishment of peace and security in the war-ravaged country is possible only through cooperation among the regional states. (FNA)