KABUL (Pajhwok): An Iranian delegation during a meeting with the Afghan Minister of Refugees and Repatriations has said 200,000 work visas will be issued to Afghans to resolve the issue of illegal residence.

A statement from the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations said that acting minister Mawlawi Abdul Kabir met with Mohammad Reza Bahrami, director general for South Asia at Iranian Foreign Ministry and Ali Reza Bigdali, the Iranian Ambassador to Kabul.

The meeting discussed the Afghan refugees living in Iran and the latest situation in the region.

Reza Bahrami said there have been good developments in trade between Kabul and Tehran and senior Iranian officials were expected to visit Kabul to achieve further gains and concrete steps would be taken for joint work and trade.

He said that Iranian authorities had fulfilled their pledges towards the Islamic Emirate regarding Afghan refugees and would continue to work with Kabul to resolve the illegal settlement of Afghans in the country, and Iran would also issue 200,000 work visas to Afghans.

The statement said Bahrami called the recent clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan a matter of concern and stated that if the Islamic Emirate approves, Iran is ready to mediate in resolving the problems between Kabul and Islamabad.

Mawlawi Abdul Kabir also said that Iran should be lenient with Afghan refugees and prevent the loss of Afghans' property.

He said that the Islamic Emirate encourages Afghans living abroad to return to their country and that host countries should not forcibly deport them.

Mawlawi Abdul Kabir also called Iran's issuance of work visas to Afghans an important step and noted that the Islamic Emirate will submit a plan to Tehran to resolve the problems of Afghans remaining in Iran.

He said that using Afghan soil against others is not the policy of the Islamic Emirate and it would be better for neighbors to resolve their domestic problems with the cooperation of scholars instead of making accusations.

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