Iran urges collective cooperation on regional security

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Wednesday stressed the necessity of collective security cooperation among the regional states, cautioning that insecurity of any regional country would jeopardize security of the entire region."All sides should render help to the establishment of peace, stability and security in the region," Salehi told reporters upon arrival at Istanbul airport on Wednesday. "The fate of the region and its countries is interwoven," he added. Salehi is in Turkey to attend a meeting on Afghanistan in Istanbul. The conference is due to study the status quo in Afghanistan and other issues related to the war-torn country, including its reconstruction. As regards Afghanistan, the Iranian minister said that the western countries and the NATO haven't done anything serious with regard to the establishment of peace and stability in Afghanistan. Referring to the participation of 17 countries as well as a number of international and Islamic organizations in the Istanbul conference, Salehi stated that the draft statement due to be issued in the conference is a "balanced" document. "We hope that the document would turn into a basis for collective regional action with regard to Afghanistan." Iran is also due to attend a similar conference on Afghanistan in the German city of Bonn on December 5, which will be held at the request of Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The aim of the confab is to give impetus to political process concerning Afghanistan and cement the international community's long-term commitment beyond 2014.