SATURDAY: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi arrived in Kabul on a one-day official visit on Saturday (today).
Qureshi was received by his Afghan counterpart upon his arrival at the Presidential Palace.
Talks between the Pakistani delegation and Afghan officials are under way. Matters including bilateral trade matters, closure of the Pakistan Consulate General in Jalalabad due to a security crisis, terrorism, and border management are expected to be discussed in the meeting.
During the visit, Qureshi will also meet Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. Qureshi will also extend an invitation to the Afghan president on behalf of Prime Minister Imran Khan to visit Pakistan.
Speaking about Qureshi’s visit, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said, “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.”
Furthermore, Dr Faisal said Qureshi’s first foreign visit after assuming office underlines the importance that the government attaches to work closely with Afghanistan for regional peace and stability.
The foreign minister had expressed the wish to visit Afghanistan after assuming office. Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani extended an invitation to Qureshi to visit Kabul at an early date.
Afghan President Ghani had visited Pakistan in December 2015 to participate in the Heart of Asia Conference.
Last month, Qureshi said the region’s prosperity and development are linked to peace in Afghan.
