Kharazzi: Iranian- American contact are not an evidence on progress in relations

The Iranian foreign minister on Wednesday considered that the recent diplomatic contacts between Iran and the US on the sideline of the Afghani groups in Bonn s"hould not be considered as a progress in the relations between the two countries."

In a press conference he jointly held with his Ukraine counterpart who was visiting Tehran, Kharazi explained " These contacts were made within the framework of the UN to find out a solution for the Afghani question and on this ground should not be considered as a progress in the relations between Iran and the US."

The clarification made by the Iranian foreign minister came as an implicit answer to his American peer Colin Powell who said last Sunday that he is " open for the possibility of possible closeness with Iran." Powell, who was talking to the press, during his visit to Moscow said that the consequences of September 11 in the US and Afghanistan's crisis permitted contacts to be made with Tehran despite the absence in the diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Kharazi on the other hand said that " these discussions and contacts aim at making a progress and finding out a solution to the Afghani crisis. Thank God we have reached that." Powell also said that the American delegate at Taliban's opposition James De Peniese made contacts with Iranian observers who attended the Afghani groups conference in Bonn. The conference which permitted reaching a decision to forma provisional Afghani government in Kabul.