UAE Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva meets Afghan Minister of Refugees

Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations and Other International Organisations in Geneva, Ambassador Obaid Salem Al Zaabi, recently met Afghan Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, Sayed Hussain Alemi Balkhi, on the sidelines of the 66th session of the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

They discussed the historical relations between their two countries and the effort being made by the United Arab Emirates to restore stability and prosperity to Afghanistan in various domains, in addition to a voluntary repatriation and integration operation for Afghan refugees.

The Afghan minister explained that in this operation, Afghan refugees receive financial grants upon returning to Afghanistan from Pakistan, which hosts 4 million Afghan refugees, and Iran, which hosts one million Afghan refugees.

These grants, he added, complements the Afghan government's efforts to anchor returning Afghans in their communities, including by facilitating access to land, housing, and livelihoods.

He addionally noted that the operation which targets six million Afghan refugees completes a strategy launched in 2012 to support host countries, voluntary repatriation and the Afghan government's effort to create favourable conditions for sustainable reintegration and support host countries.

The Afghan minister expressed his hope that the United Arab Emirates will support this plan.

For his part, Ambassador Al Zaabi stressed that the United Arab Emirates stands for the friendly people of Afghanistan and has always supported them and their country with humanitarian work, development aid and infrastructure construction.