TEHRAN - Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi and Head of the Executive Committee of UNHCR Pedro Commissario Afonso exchanged views over finding new avenues to pave the ground for the permanent return of the Afghan refugees to their homeland.

"The principle policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the field of refugees is their voluntary return to their countries. We believe that Afghan refugees can prove efficient in reconstruction of their motherland based on the experiences they have gained in Iran," said Araqchi in a meeting with Afonso in Tehran on Sunday.

"The only way to Afghanistan's success is reconstruction," he said.

Referring to Iran's hosting of refugees from regional countries specially the Afghan refugees for the last three decades, he said, "Even when we faced problems of Iraqi dictator Saddam's imposed war against Iran and the unjust sanctions against the country, we hosted millions of Afghan refugees in our country."

Commisario, for his part, hailed Iran's generous hosting of Afghan refugees for more than three decades as a shining and outstanding example of assistance and support for the international community.

The UNHCR Executive Committee head also urged Iran to actively participate in the Geneva meeting on Afghan refugees.

Iran is one of the most important donors to Afghanistan, which has kept its promises to help to the reconstruction of the war-ravaged country.

Iran has built several roads, power transmission lines, border stations and many other infrastructure projects in Afghanistan to better link the two nations.

Iran has also contributed more than $50mln annually to Afghan anti-narcotics efforts during the last five years. (FNA)