BAKU: President Dr. Arif Alvi met with his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani on the sidelines of Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Baku on Friday.
According to a statement issued by his office, Dr. Alvi told Ashraf Ghani that that Pakistan has been hosting more than 4 million Afghan refugees over the last four decades and emphasized for their return in a dignified and honorable manner.
The two leaders exchanged views on various issues of mutual interest including peace and security in the region, and cooperation in development and connectivity projects, read the statement.
President Arif recalled the historic fraternal ties existing between the two countries and said that Pakistan wished to see a stable and prosperous Afghanistan.
He expressed the hope that bilateral relations would further gain momentum in the coming years.
Speaking on the occasion, President Alvi referred to the economic assistance provided by the Government of Pakistan in various sectors and reiterated that Pakistan will continue its efforts in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.
Earlier in the day, President Dr. Arif Alvi had arrived in Baku to attend the Non Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit, Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Akhmedov received the President at the airport. As many as two dozen heads of state and governments had arrived in Azerbaijan, to attend a two-day summit.
Meanwhile, statement issued by his office, President Alvi said that Pakistan considers Iran as an important country as both countries share more than 900 km border.
“A strong people-to-people contact has further strengthened the bond of friendship between the two countries”, he added. Speaking on the occasion, the president said that both the countries need to fully utilize the trade potential to further enhance bilateral economic relations.
He briefed the Iranian president on the continuous lockdown and grave human rights violations in IoK.–Agencies
