Kabul accepts Iran diplomat's comment on Afghan refugees

Kabul, May 12, IRNA – Afghanistan's Minister of Refugees and Repatriations Hussain Alami Balkhi accepted remarks made by Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi regarding Afghan refugees, saying Kabul has no concern with this regard. Balkhi in a message appreciated the support offered by Iranian people, cultural figures, elites and Friday prayer leaders to Afghan refugees. Referring to long-standing relations between Iran and Afghanistan, Balkhi said the relations between two countries' governments are advancing. Earlier on Saturday, Araqchi urged western states to accept the responsibility of their actions in the Afghanistan and explained that his recent remarks about the Afghan refugees living in Iran aimed at highlighting the wrongful acts of the West in the war-torn country rather than its refugee community in Iran. 'We have spared no effort to help the Afghans, and will do so in the future, and will host them as long as we can,' he said. 'But it is not right that the West, the US, in particular impose sanctions and economic pressure on Iran in total disregard of their own responsibility of waging war on a sovereign nation (Afghanistan), displacing multi-million Afghans, making them refugees. Iran spends eight billion dollars a year to host the Afghan refugees, ' he noted. Araqchi added that Washington pursues hostile policy against Iran to zero Iranian crude oil exports at a time when Iran spends eight billion dollars a year to host the Afghan refugees displaced by US invasion of Afghanistan. 'The Europeans should also take on responsibility either by paying the costs of the refugees and migrants or by hosting a part of the Afghan community in their own countries,' the Iranian deputy foreign minister said. Follow us on Twitter @IrnaEnglish