Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki urges the West to respect the will of Afghans if it intends to resolve Afghanistan’s challenges.

Iran has been invited by the United States to attend the conference in The Hague, but has so far not confirmed its participation.

Mottaki, quoted by IRNA, said the meeting at the end of the month “must focus especially on the true challenges in Afghanistan, namely respect for the will of the Afghan people and respect for its traditions.”

Mottaki’s remarks came ahead of a March 31 conference that will be held in The Hague on Afghanistan. Another conference of foreign ministers will be held on Afghanistan on the sidelines of a meeting of the Group of Eight industrialized nations (G8) to be held in Trieste in June.