November 19, 2001	Monday	Ramazan 3, 1422

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TEHRAN, Nov 18: Iranian Interior Minister Abdolvahed Mussavi-Lari has hailed Islamabad’s “efforts” towards a rapprochement with Tehran over the Afghan crisis.

“Pakistan’s leaders are making efforts towards harmonising their views on the Afghan crisis with those of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Sunday’s Iranian press quoted Mussavi-Lari as saying.

“The Pakistanis have announced that they were determined to cooperate with Iran for a settlement of the Afghan crisis,” added the minister, who made a three-day visit to Islamabad last week, during which he met Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

The two countries have been at odds since the start of the US military operation in Afghanistan which followed the Sept 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

Tehran condemned the strikes and denied Washington its support, while Islamabad became a key player in the United States-led “anti-terror campaign.”

The two regional rivals are struggling for influence in post-Taliban Afghanistan, but both countries are equally concerned by the domestic impact of a refugee crisis and continued instability in their mutual neighbour.

During his recent visit, Mussavi-Lari signed a bilateral border security agreement with Pakistan.

“Iran and Pakistan are two important countries in the region, which can play a key role in a solution to the Afghan question,” Mussavi-Lari said.—AFP