Iran deputy FM, UN special envoy discuss Afghanistan

The UN special representative on Afghanistan has met with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araqchi to discuss the latest developments in the Asian country.

The withdrawal of US-led foreign forces from Afghanistan and the upcoming presidential election in the country were among the main topics on the agenda of the Tuesday meeting between Araqchi and Jan Kubis in Tehran.

Araqchi and Kubis, who heads the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, also discussed the issue of Afghan refugees in Iran.

In his second round of talks in Tehran, the Slovakian UN official is due to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Wednesday.

The ongoing violence in Afghanistan has forced thousands of undocumented Afghan refugees crossing into Iran every year in search of employment.

The voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees from Iran has been slow in recent years due to insecurity and economic hardships back home, which political analysts say is mainly the result of the US-led occupation of the country.

Iran has also spent millions of dollars and paid a high human cost to stem the inflow of drug cargos destined for European, Arab and Central Asian countries through its border with Afghanistan.