Iran tells an international conference on Afghanistan at The Hague that it is "fully prepared" to help reconstruct the war-ridden country.

Afghanistan's international supporters, including Iran and the
United States, met in The Hague Tuesday to discuss combating insurgency and promoting democracy in the country.

The Iranian representative at the summit, Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Mehdi Akhundzadeh, said Tehran would gladly contribute to reconstruction projects as well as efforts to halt drug trafficking in Afghanistan.

On narcotics, he said "coordinated measures" on border security cooperation among regional forces were necessary to bring drug trafficking to a halt in Afghanistan.

Before a group of senior diplomats that included US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Akhundzadeh explained that stability in the neighboring country would greatly influence the Iranian side and border.

He, however, criticized US President Barack Obama's plan to send more troops to Afghanistan and said that the presence of foreign forces in the country had exacerbated an already dire situation.

The US, under former President George W. Bush, invaded Afghanistan and removed the Taliban from power in 2001 as it sought to eliminate the militants behind the 9/11 attacks.

Seven years later, insurgents are stronger than ever in the southern and eastern regions of Afghanistan where they have established control by providing crude government services and basic security.

More than 70,000 US and NATO troops are currently in Afghanistan. President Obama has ordered 17,000 extra troops to the country as well as an additional 4,000 to help train the army.

The Iranian diplomat called on the international community to tackle the roots of terrorism by means other than the military.

Secretary Clinton, for her part without mentioning Iran's name, asked all of Afghanistan's neighbors to play a constructive role in stabilizing the country.

"Trafficking in narcotics, the spread of violent extremism, economic stagnation, water management, electrification, and irrigation are regional challenges that will require regional solutions," she added.

Clinton stressed that the price of defeat would be too high for the US as well as regional countries.

Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, she said the US shared the stance of the Iranians on drug trafficking and the two sides would be likely to cooperate on addressing the issue in near the future -- without providing further detail.

MD/HGH