UN Envoy Confers With Kharrazi
According to the Foreign Ministry's Information and Press Bureau, Lubbers praised Iranian government and nation for accommodating Afghan refugees during the war period, adding that their repatriation to their homeland will help the reconstruction process in the war-battered Afghanistan.
Touching on the plan of repatriating some 400,000 Afghan refugees per year, organized by Iran, he expressed satisfaction over the issue.
Kharrazi, for his part, mentioned establishment of stability, security and tranquility as factors paving the way for refugees' return.
The foreign minister stressed the necessity of Afghan nation's participation in the rebuilding efforts and called on all countries to help them in this regard.
Voicing Iran's support for the new Afghan government, he announced Tehran's readiness to participate in the reconstruction works in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Lubbers said here on Saturday evening that some 1.2 million Afghan refugees will be repatriated to their own country from Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan by the end of the current year.
Prior to his departure from Tehran, he told IRNA that some 250,000 Afghan refugees returned to Afghanistan during the previous year.
Referring to cooperation between the Iranian officials and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) officials as very close, Lubbers appreciated great efforts made by the Islamic Republic of Iran in helping the Afghan refugees' repatriation to their homeland.
Repatriation of Afghan refugees without help of the Afghan neighboring states including Iran and Pakistan is impossible, he reiterated.
He further underlined the need for encouraging the Afghan refugees all over the world to voluntary return to their own country.
Lubbers arrived in Tehran early Saturday morning to follow up the scheduled plan for voluntary return of Afghan refugees residing in Iran.
Upon arrival in Tehran, he told reporters that since voluntary return of Afghan refugees may last several years, security of the refugees while returning to their homeland is of great importance.
In a meeting with President Mohammad Khatami on Saturday, Lubbers said that he was pleased with the current situation which made possible the repatriation of Afghan refugees from Iran.
The Iranian president hoped for an immediate end to the tragedy of Afghan refugees living in Iran.
President Khatami stressed the need for reconstruction of Afghanistan and said that the international community is required to help reinforce peace and security in Afghanistan and go ahead with reconstruction in the country.
He pointed to Iran's two-decade campaign against drug trafficking and admission of Afghan refugees during Taleban's rule and said that the Iranian nation and government are currently making the hardest efforts to help reconstruct Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Lubbers, conferred with Interior Minister Abdolvahed Mousavi-Lari on repatriation of Afghan refugees yesterday.
The Iranian minister said it is about two decades that over 2.5 million Afghan refugees have been living in Iran despite the fact that the country has received the least financial aid from international bodies.
"Despite being engaged in a war, we have not only hosted the Afghan refugees in refugee camps but have welcomed them in our cities as normal citizens," he said.
Saying that the country's educational facilities have been put at the disposal of the Afghan refugees, Lari noted there are about some 200,000 Afghan students in Iran of whom some have completed academic courses. The educated Afghan refugees are valuable assets for their country, he added.
The Afghan refugees have also benefited from security and sanitary services which have put heavy financial burden on Iran, he said.
The UNHCR chief, for his part, said that Iran has successfully managed a high standard program for repatriation of the Afghan refugees to their motherland.
The UNHCR has borne only a part of the expenses for the refugees while the Islamic Republic of Iran have done very much in financing the transfer of Afghan refugees, he said.
Lubbers on Saturday also visited Souleyman-Khani Refugee Camp on the suburb of Tehran and inspected the process of voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees from the camp.