Afghan, Pakistani leaders discuss Karzai’s visit

Islamabad, June 7, IRNA – Afghan and Pakistani deputy foreign ministers met Monday in Islamabad and reviewed preparations for upcoming visit to Pakistan by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, officials said.

Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Jawed Ludin, currently on a 2-day official visit to Pakistan, met Pakistan Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar, the Foreign Ministry said.
Dates for the visit of Afghan President to Pakistan have not yet been announced but sources said that he would pay a 2-day visit at the end of the current week.

Ludin’s visit is a part of the ongoing bilateral consultative process. Apart from holding bilateral talks, he is here to work out details for a visit by the Afghan President in the near future, a Foreign Ministry statement said.

Hina Rabbani Khar expressed satisfaction over the current state of bilateral relations between the two countries, which had undergone tremendous change under the present democratic regime.

She emphasized the need to further consolidate the relations through joint efforts. Khar underlined Pakistan’s keenness to see stability and peace in Afghanistan and assured the Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister that it would extend all possible cooperation to Afghanistan in order to achieve this objective. Economic development would hasten this process.

Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Ludin referred to the inter-dependence of the destiny of the two peoples and countries, the statement said.

He noted with appreciation the finalization of Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement as an important step toward strengthening of economic and commercial ties, the statement said./end