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Iran leader begins Afghan visit Iran leader denies arms supplies
(about 3 hours later)
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has arrived in Afghanistan on the first leg of a regional tour. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has denied US allegations that Iranian weapons are finding their way into the hands of the Taleban.
Mr Ahmadinejad is meeting his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai in Kabul. Mr Ahmadinejad, on a visit to Kabul, said that Tehran strongly supported the political process in Afghanistan.
He held talks with his Afghan counterpart, Hamid Karzai, on the first leg of a tour that will also take him to Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan.
This is Mr Ahmadinejad's first visit to Afghanistan since he was elected.
Kabul's main ally, the United States, recently alleged that Iranian-made weapons were reaching the Taleban.
"I doubt seriously if there is any truth in it," Mr Ahmadinejad told journalists in Kabul, the AFP news agency reported.
"With all our force, we support the political process in Afghanistan," he said.
Mr Ahmadinejad said Iran's security depended on the situation in Afghanistan as the two nations shared a long border.
"For us, a secure and stable Afghanistan is the best," he said.
Mutual interest
During his recent visit to the US, Mr Karzai said Iran had been playing a positive role in his country, putting him in dispute with President George W Bush.
Tehran helped to establish an interim government in Kabul after the fall of the Taleban and since then has donated large amounts of aid to Afghanistan.Tehran helped to establish an interim government in Kabul after the fall of the Taleban and since then has donated large amounts of aid to Afghanistan.
This is Mr Ahmadinejad's first visit to Afghanistan since he was elected. Both Tehran and Kabul say they will use the trip to broaden existing ties.
Issues of mutual interest include continuing reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan and Kabul's ongoing fight against Taleban insurgents, says the BBC's Pam O'Toole in Tehran.Issues of mutual interest include continuing reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan and Kabul's ongoing fight against Taleban insurgents, says the BBC's Pam O'Toole in Tehran.
The continuing presence of almost a million Afghan refugees in Iran and Tehran's current operation to expel other groups of Afghans who are living in Iran illegally are also important issues. The continuing presence of almost one million Afghan refugees in Iran and Tehran's current operation to expel other groups of Afghans who are living in Iran illegally are also key issues.
Kabul's main ally, the United States, recently alleged that Iranian-made weapons had been finding their way into the hands of the Taleban, but that has been strongly denied by Tehran.
And during his recent visit to the US, the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, said Iran had been playing a positive role in his country.
From Afghanistan Mr Ahmadinejad will travel on to Turkmenistan, where he is expected to sign a number of co-operation agreements.From Afghanistan Mr Ahmadinejad will travel on to Turkmenistan, where he is expected to sign a number of co-operation agreements.
Iran is the largest consumer of Turkmen gas after Russia and the two countries have close economic ties.
Mr Ahmadinejad's final port of call will be a meeting of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation in Kyrgyzstan, where he is expected to bid for Iran's status to be raised from observer to full member.Mr Ahmadinejad's final port of call will be a meeting of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation in Kyrgyzstan, where he is expected to bid for Iran's status to be raised from observer to full member.
While there he is due to hold talks with leaders of full members of the organisation, who include Russia and China.While there he is due to hold talks with leaders of full members of the organisation, who include Russia and China.