OTTAWA - VISITING Iranian Vice President Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie said on Thursday that his government welcomes multilateral talks with the United States and its allies on Afghanistan.
But, he added, Tehran has yet to receive an official invitation from the US administration or Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
'We have received some news about Mrs Clinton's overtures, but we have not received an official invitation to any summit,' he said through an interpreter during an unofficial visit to Canada.
'I would like to add that any talks related to Afghanistan are important and we welcome them,' he said. 'This is positive - any talks on Afghanistan, especially bilateral or multilateral talks on this issue.' Mrs Clinton said last week that Iran would be invited to a high-level conference on Afghanistan next month, should the event go ahead.
Before agreeing to attend, however, Mr Mashaie said Tehran would like to know more about the summit agenda.
He commented that the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force's results in trying to secure Afghanistan 'have not been very favourable,' adding that its security is of concern to its neighbors, especially to Iran.
He also said Tehran would like to cooperate with Canada 'to ease the security crisis in Afghanistan and plan for the aftermath of the departure of its troops' in 2011.
Canada has some 2,750 troops deployed in southern Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led mission to rout insurgents.
A roadside blast on Sunday claimed the life of a soldier on a routine patrol, bringing to 112 the number of Canadian casualties in the war-torn country since the start of its mission in 2002.
Mr Mashaie was in Canada to meet with Iranian expatriates. He had no meetings planned with Canadian officials. -- AFP
