West must respect Afghan wishes says Manouchehr Mottaki

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki urges the West to respect the will of Afghans if it intends to resolve Afghanistan's challenges.

"Meetings which are scheduled to be held in Rome and The Hague must pay serious attention to the true challenges of Afghanistan, they must respect the will of the Afghan people and respect its traditions," Mottaki said Monday.

Mottaki's remarks came ahead of a March 31 conference that will be held in The Hague on Afghanistan. Another conference of foreign ministers will be held on Afghanistan on the sidelines of a meeting of the Group of Eight industrialized nations (G8) to be held in Trieste in June.

"After seven years, the international community and the West in particular have understood that the military option in Afghanistan has borne no fruit," said the Iranian minister.

"It has been proven that taking the will and dignity of the Afghan people into account will bring about results," he added.

Earlier in March, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi signaled Iran's willingness to help the Group of Eight industrialized nations in establishing peace and security in Afghanistan and securing the country's economic and social growth.

A US-led coalition invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to punish those responsible for carrying out the 9/11 attacks on US soil and to end the rule of the Taliban in the country.

Seven years later, rising violence in the war-ravaged country has forced the new US administration to seek an end to the war.

US President Barack Obama said on Sunday that the new policy for Afghanistan would focus on "an exit strategy" even as the fight against Taliban expands.

He suggested that the military build-up in Afghanistan would not be open-ended and that a way out of the war would require a diplomatic and economic front against insurgency.