Iran to Extend Afghan Visas for 6 Months
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iranian government plans to provide Afghan expatriates working in the country with a 6-month visa extension as part of a broader plan to help Afghanistan on the verge of presidential election run-off, an Iranian foreign ministry official announced on Sunday.
An official at the Iranian ministry of foreign affairs announced that the decision was made "given repeated official requests by the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and in line with the Islamic republic of Iran's continued policy of support for the friendly and brotherly nation of Afghanistan, and given the existing hard conditions of the country on the verge of presidential election run-off."
Based on the new decision, the Iranian government will extend Afghan citizens’ visas for another six months after their expiration in mid-June.
The official further expressed the hope that the Afghan government would pave the way for its nationals to return home after presidential election run-off due to be held on June 14.
Iran has for decades hosted millions of refugees from Afghanistan, though it has received little international support.
The Afghan election run-off will be held on June 14 between Abdullah Abdullah, a former opposition leader, and ex-World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani.
