May 25, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai has spoken with his Iranian counterpart, Mahmud Ahmadinejad, about the plight of Afghan refugees expelled from Iran, RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan reported.

Speaking at a meeting with representatives of aid agencies on May 24, Karzai said he had asked Ahmadinejad in a recent phone conversation to consider a gradual repatriation of Afghan refugees from Iran.

Some 70,000 Afghan refugees have recently been expelled by Iranian authorities.

The repatriations have prompted complaints from the Afghan Foreign Ministry.

Earlier this month, Afghanistan's parliament voted to dismiss Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta for fail for failing to convince Iran to rethink the forced repatriation of refugees.

... Payvand News - 5/26/07 ...

... Payvand News - 5/26/07 ... --