By Our Diplomatic Correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to make concerted efforts towards early finalisation of framework agreement for Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway project to enhance regional connectivity.
The understanding was reached during inaugural round of additional secretary-level mechanism between the foreign ministries of Pakistan and Afghanistan held in Islamabad on Monday. The meeting follows the visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Kabul in April this year. The meeting reviewed the implementation status of measures announced during the visit for facilitating Afghan transit trade and discussed key areas of bilateral interest, including trade and transit cooperation, security, and connectivity.
Both sides recognized terrorism as a serious threat to regional peace and security. The Pakistani side emphasized concrete actions against terrorist groups operating on Afghan soil, noting that such groups undermine Pakistan’s security and hinder regional development.
They underlined the importance of enhanced regional connectivity as a catalyst for sustainable growth and shared prosperity.
Matters related to repatriation of Afghan nationals also came up during the meeting. The Pakistani side shared its efforts to facilitate documented travel from Afghanistan, notably through the issuance of over 500,000 visas since January last year across a range of categories including medical, tourist, business, and study.
Both sides agreed to work together to further strengthen the legal movement of individuals across borders.
The two sides reaffirmed their support for sustained engagement to address mutual challenges and recognized that lasting security is a cornerstone of development for both countries and advancement of their bilateral relations.
