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Tehran, Kabul to Finalize Cooperation Document in Three Months

Tehran, Kabul to Finalize Cooperation Document in Three Months
Tehran, Kabul to Finalize Cooperation Document in Three Months

Top diplomats of Iran and Afghanistan have agreed on Sunday to finalize the joint comprehensive cooperation document within three months. 
Interim Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar, who visited Tehran at the head of a high-ranking political, economic and security delegation, met his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest, ISNA reported. 
The delegation is set to hold talks with Iranian officials within the framework of eight committees over a two-day stay. 
Apart from the cooperation document, the two countries will discuss collaborations in other sectors, including economy, border operations, Afghan nationals, media, security, health, water and energy. 
On Sunday, officials from the two countries held discussions in three rounds, with the cooperation document at the center of their talks. 
The document was prepared around five years ago and covers political, security, economic, cultural and social spheres.
The meeting also aimed to discuss the "recent unfortunate events [and] find solutions to avoid them happening again" according to Afghan Foreign Ministry's Twitter account. 
Relations between the two neighbors have experienced tensions over the past month over the deaths of several Afghans near their border. 
Several Afghan migrants drowned in Harirud river along the Iran-Afghanistan border in May. 
Afghan officials claim the migrants were forced into a river by Iranian border guards while they were illegally crossing into Iran from Herat Province.
Iranian authorities have dismissed the claims, saying the incident occurred inside Afghan territory.
As the incident sparked anger and protests in Afghanistan, President Ashraf Ghani later ordered an investigation into the drowning. 
This was followed by another incident earlier this month in the central city of Yazd in which three Afghans died and several others were injured after a car chase with police. 
Ghafoor Lewal, the Afghan ambassador in Tehran, traveled to the city to visit the victims of the incident and to discuss with local officials reasons for the alleged police shooting at the vehicle. 
Iranian officials said the driver of the vehicle "defied police instructions and failed to stop at a checkpoint".
According to UN refugee agency UNHCR, around 3.5 million Afghans, including almost a million refugees, are living in Iran.

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