The UN chief met with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi on the sidelines of the International Bonn Conference on Afghanistan on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry's Information and Press Bureau reported.
He took special note of the strain on Iran in its dealing with the refugees from Afghanistan and praised the Islamic Republic's humanitarian assistance in providing refuge to millions of war-stricken Afghan nationals.
About 100 countries and international organizations were represented at the one-day event in the German city.
Ban also admired Iran's campaign against drug trade originating from Afghanistan. The fight against drug trafficking has claimed the lives of nearly 3,700 Iranian security forces over the past 30 years.
Salehi, for his part, called for further cooperation between the world body and Iran on Afghanistan and described security as the prerequisite for the development of the central Asian nation.
The Iranian foreign minister also called upon all sides to do their utmost in restoring Afghanistan's sovereignty, stability, and security.
He also stressed the need for a realistic approach towards the conflict in Afghanistan.
The conference sought to devise a strategy for stabilizing Afghanistan in the event of the withdrawal of all foreign forces, which is expected to take place over the next three years. It as well discussed long-term prospects for international assistance to Afghans and a possible political settlement with the Taliban.
The security situation remains fragile in Afghanistan, despite the presence of nearly 150,000 US-led foreign forces.
Thousands of Afghan civilians have lost their lives since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. At least 2777 civilians were killed in 2010 alone, the highest annual total in the decade-long war.
press tv/281
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has praised Iran's acceptance of Afghan refugees and its efforts to block the flow of drug from Afghanistan.
News ID 181255
