TEHRAN, May 27: Afghan President Hamid Karzai began a two-day trip to Iran on Saturday to meet the Islamic republic’s top leaders and seek investment for his war-shattered nation.

But as he arrived, Iran angrily dismissed suggestions that Afghanistan might play a mediating role in Tehran’s standoff with the West over its nuclear programme.

Mr Karzai, accompanied by senior members of his government, will meet

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the country’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei as well as other officials, his office said.

He was expected to sign several agreements, including on the exchange of prisoners, a rail link across the border and investment.

“The main purpose of the visit is to discuss bilateral relations, matters of mutual interest, regional issues and expansion of financial relations,” presidential spokesman Karim Rahimi said earlier in the week.

Mr Rahimi also said Kabul was ready to mediate in the growing dispute between the United States, one of Afghanistan’s key backers, and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

But foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told the official IRNA news agency: “We say these reports are baseless and such a matter is not on the agenda of discussions with Mr Karzai.”

Asefi said the talks would be focused on ties including the exchange of prisoners, a cross-border rail link and investment.—AFP