Salehi made the remarks during a speech at the Tokyo Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan, which was held in the Japanese capital on Sunday. In his speech, the Iranian foreign minister stated that the presence of extra-regional forces in Afghanistan has led to further insecurity, an increase in the smuggling of illicit drugs, and the institutionalization of terrorism in the war-ravaged country. Elsewhere in his remarks, Salehi said that Iran has played its full part in the reconstruction process in Afghanistan, adding that Iran will continue to support its neighboring country. Salehi also called for the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees to Support Voluntary Repatriation, Sustainable Reintegration and Assistance to Host Countries to be fully implemented. The Solutions Strategy was discussed during a conference held in Geneva on May 2 and 3, which was co-organized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Swiss government with the participation of the concerned countries, namely Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan. And the participants of the conference welcomed and supported the Solutions Strategy as an integrated framework for multilateral cooperation and coordination and discussed the establishment of follow-up mechanisms for implementation. Some 3 million Afghan refugees are still living outside their country following decades of conflict and unrest in Afghanistan, with 1.7 million in Pakistan and 1 million in Iran. However, Iran says it is hosting 3 million Afghans. Salehi held separate meetings with a number of officials participating in the conference, including German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba.
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