Iran says ready to cooperate with U.S. on Afghanistan

[bemildred]

Source: Reuters

Iran said on Saturday it would consider a U.S. invitation to take part in a meeting on Afghanistan and it was ready to offer any help to its neighbor.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Thursday that President Barrack Obama's government intended to invite Iran to an international conference on Afghanistan planned for this month.

"If America and European countries and others need to use Iran, they should give us (the invitation). We will review it with the approach that we are ready to offer any help to Afghanistan," Iranian government spokesman Gholamhossein Elham told a news conference. Obama, in a turnaround from Bush administration policy, has said the United States wants to engage Iran on a range of issues. The conference invitation would be the start of diplomatic initiative to Tehran.

Clinton proposed the conference, which brings in Afghanistan's other neighbours including Pakistan and other players, would take place on March 31.

Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1069212.html