KABUL – Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi arrived in Kabul on a one-day official visit where he met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
In his first meeting with Ghani as a foreign minister, Shah Mehmood discussed crucial bilateral issues related to security and other frontiers. The two dignitaries also discussed as to how the diplomatic ties between the two countries could be strengthened.
Upon his arrival at the Presidential Palace, Qureshi was received by his Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani.
https://twitter.com/PTIofficial/status/1040871983141933056
In his meeting with Afghan counterpart, Pakistan’s foreign minister highlighted that the challenges faced by Islamabad and Kabul were similar and mutual cooperation was needed to solve them.
The Pakistani foreign minister further stated that there was a persistent need to focus on the working group in Afghanistan to move forward.
Qureshi also proposed that a meeting between scholars from both sides could be arranged to resolve long-standing issues.
On the occasion, Rabbani noted that establishing peace was important both for Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Earlier, a meeting took place between a Pakistani delegation accompanying Qureshi and Afghan officials, wherein matters including bilateral trade, closure of the Pakistan Consulate General in Jalalabad, terrorism, and border management were discussed.
As the foreign minister landed in Kabul, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said that the successful outcome of the visit will lead future efforts to enhance bilateral cooperation under bilateral frameworks of cooperation including Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS), Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Coordination Authority (APTTCA), Pak-Afghan Joint Economic Commission (JEC) etc.
The spokesperson said Qureshi’s first foreign visit after assuming office underlines the importance that the government attaches to working closely with Afghanistan for regional peace and stability.
