TEHRAN - Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah says his country wants to enhance trade and transit ties with Iran.

“Afghanistan and Iran call for facilitating economic relations,” he said on Monday afternoon after a meeting in Tehran with Iranian First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri.

Abdullah appreciated Iran’s help and support in rebuilding Afghanistan and boosting security in the country, especially in fight against narcotics.

He also thanked Iran for providing the situation for some 50,000 Afghan students to study in Iran.

Jahangiri, for his part, put the current annual bilateral trade at around $2.5 billion, saying that Afghanistan can use Iran’s Chabahar port as a gateway for transiting its goods.

Abdullah will visit Chabahar during his two-day stay.

The top Afghan official also thanked Iran for hosting millions of Afghan refugees over the past 37 years.

Back in May, Director of the UNHCR Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific Daisy Dell appreciated Iran’s supportive efforts regarding the Afghan refugees. Addressing a forum in Tehran, Dell said Iran has supported Afghan asylum-seekers despite little financial assistance from the international community. 

Iran has been hosting large numbers of Afghan refugees, who fled wars and conflicts in their country. In recent years, Tehran has been urging the Afghan nationals to return home voluntarily to contribute to the reconstruction of their homeland.