Iran’s ministry of justice’s deputy for international affairs and human rights, along with the Islamic Emirate has announced plans to repatriate Afghan prisoners over the next two months.

Iranian deputy minister Askar Jalalian said Wednesday that an agreement regarding the deportation of Afghan convicts was first signed in 2005 and that the current government is duty bound to adhere to the accord.

Jalalian said he will travel to Kabul to discuss the transfer of prisoners currently being held in Tehran, as well as the repatriation of Iranian prisoners in Afghanistan.

He said the relationship between Iran and Afghanistan is strong across various sectors, noting that both nations share a common language and numerous cultural ties.

Jalalian acknowledged that some adversaries may not favor the strengthening of Iran’s relations with its neighbors; however, he affirmed the importance of nurturing the deep-rooted connections between the two countries.

The Islamic Emirate has said it hopes to facilitate the transfer of the 1,000 Afghan prisoners within the next two months in order for them to serve out their sentences in Afghanistan.

The IEA also confirmed that a delegation from Iran’s Ministry of Justice will meet with officials in Kabul to finalize the matter.

The deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, Hamdullah Fitrat, meanwhile said the delegation’s visit to Kabul will be a constructive step towards exchanging prisoners between the two countries.