Qureshi meets Afghan leaders:

Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi met his Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul during a visit to Afghanistan on Monday.

Matters of mutual interest were discussed during a meeting between the Qureshi-led Pakistani delegation comprising Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and other high-ranking Foreign Office officials, and the Afghan delegation, which was led by Rabbani. During the talks, they were focused on overall regional situation and improvement in bilateral ties. Both ministers agreed to promote two-way political, trade and cultural relations. Qureshi sets out to strengthen regional ties. Qureshi underscored the importance to increase contacts for durable peace and stability in the region. He said Pakistan has always stood for peace and security in Afghanistan. The Afghan foreign minister apprised Shah Mehmood Qureshi of the positive developments in the Afghan peace process. He appreciated the efforts of Pakistan for bringing peace in his country.

The foreign minister also met the Afghan president separately in the Presidential Palace, where the two stressed the need to improve bilateral relations. President Ghani expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Qureshi for playing an important role in the Afghan peace process. A statement by Presidential Palace said that two sides discussed Afghanistan-Pakistan relations, bilateral issues, Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process and next steps after intra-Afghan talks. In this meeting, the importance of regional and world countries’ cooperation was highlighted in the peace process of Afghanistan, the statement added. Qureshi said that peace and stability in Afghanistan was not only important for the development of both countries but for the entire region. They also discussed the regional situation and matters of mutual interest. Later, the Afghan president also chaired a meeting between the delegations of both countries. (KUNA)