Qureshi, Afghan FM agree to hold next session of bilateral forum

islamabad —The next session of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS), a bilateral forum set up in May 2018, will be held soon as part of efforts not only to remove mistrust but also improve ties between the two neighbours.

The agreement to arrange the next meeting of APAPPS was reached during a telephonic conversation between Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Afghan counterpart, Hanif Atmar, on Monday, reports

Atmar was recently appointed as acting Afghan Foreign Minister by President Ashraf Ghani. He is one of the influential figures in Afghanistan as he previously served as the country’s interior minister as well as national security adviser.

A statement issued by the

Foreign Office said Qureshi congratulated Atmar on his recent appointment and expressed hope that during his tenure, there would be enhanced interaction between the foreign ministries of the two countries. Prospects of enhancing bilateral relations in all areas were discussed.

Qureshi reiterated the importance of existing bilateral mechanisms and hoped that the next session of APAPPS would be held soon which would help further strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields.

The APAPPS was established in May 2018 as part of efforts by two sides to sort out issues though negotiations.

The APAPPS framework provides a comprehensive and structured mechanism to enhance engagement between counterpart institutions of the two countries.

APAPPS comprises five working groups on politico-diplomatic, military, intelligence, economic and trade and refugees issues. —