Pak, China extend support to Afghan peace process

Islamabad: Pakistan and China on Thursday extended their support to an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process to ensure durable stability in the war-torn country. The second meeting of Pakistan-Afghanistan-China Trilateral Dialogue here agreed that an intra-Afghan inclusive dialogue would ensure durable peace and stability in Afghanistan, a Foreign Ministry statement said. [caption id=“attachment_540301” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representative image. Reuters[/caption] The three sides reviewed the progress since the first trilateral dialogue and believe that the dialogue plays a positive role in enhancing friendly cooperation between the three countries and maintaining peace and stability in the region. The meeting discussed regional situation with special reference to Afghanistan, efforts for peace and reconciliation and trilateral cooperation in various fields. The participants agreed that regular trilateral consultations between the three countries were important in order to further promote peace and stability in the region and to strengthen trilateral friendly exchanges and cooperation. The meeting welcomed the Afghan High Peace Council’s visit to Islamabad and the joint press statement issued after the visit. It also appreciated the steps taken by Pakistan in response to their request. The three countries agreed that close and consistent cooperation among regional countries is essential to overcome the trends of violence. They reiterated their commitment to cooperate in fight against terrorism, extremism and separatism. The meeting highlighted the importance of counter-narcotics campaign especially due to the nexus between terrorism and drug money. The participants welcomed the outcome of the Regional Ministerial Conference on Counter-Narcotics held in Islamabad on 12-13 November 2012. The three sides support the United Nations’ leading role in the context of international cooperation. They agreed that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation can play an important role in peace and stability in the region and that the organisation’s regional mechanism can provide better solutions to the emerging new security, political and economic challenges. PTI