Iran's Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar in separate meetings with Iraqi and Afghan officials conferred on ways of facilitating voluntary return of the Afghan and Iraqi refugees from Iran to their countries, Fars reported.
Najjar, in his separate meetings with Afghan Minister of Immigrants Affairs Jamahir Anvari and Iraqi minister of immigration Dindar Najman Doski in the Turkmen capital city of Ashgabat, discussed issues related to the Afghan and Iraqi refugees residing in Iran.
At the meetings, Najjar described Afghanistan and Iraq as two friendly and brotherly neighbors of Iran, and said, "The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran intends to further develop and expand all-out relations with its neighbors, specially Afghanistan and Iraq."
The Afghan and Iraqi ministers, for their parts, underlined their governments' intention to bolster ties with Tehran in different fields, and said the close relations of their leaders with Iran's top officials promises attainment of this goal.
Iran has a generous host for more than 2 million Afghan refugees for two decades.
Tehran has called on the international community to strengthen support for Iran for hosting the Afghan refugees and provide repatriation support for the refugees.
Voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees from Iran has slowed in recent years in the face of poor security and economic conditions in Afghanistan.
Earlier this year, the UNHCR Representative in Iran Bernard Doyle lauded the country for its efforts and effective measures in supporting the Afghan refugees residing in Iran, and underlined that Tehran has shown a kind and humanitarian behavior towards the Afghan nationals.
"Iran has well fulfilled its humanitarian duties in this regard," Doyle said in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi in June.