Pakistan, Afghan leaders talk cooperation in Tajikistan

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA)- The heads of state of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajkistan held a tripartite meeting in the Tajik capital Dushanbe on Thursday to discuss the economic and security challenges being faced by the region due to poor connectivity and infrastructure.

At the gathering, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resolved to work together to promote regional cooperation and connectivity for shared prosperity.

Addressing the meeting, Sharif agreed to take measures for early implementation of the CASA-1000 energy transmission project, calling it a "harbinger for power transmission from Central Asia to South Asia and promoting sustainable economic and social development in the region," said a statement from Pakistan's Foreign Ministry.

Highlighting Pakistan’s sacrifices and successes in countering terrorism, Sahrif reiterated his country’s firm resolve to eliminate the scourge of terrorism. He also reiterated Pakistan’s desire for lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan, as a prerequisite for regional security and prosperity. He said Pakistan will continue to support all efforts to ensure durable peace in Afghanistan through political dialogue under an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process, the statement added.

Denouncing terrorism as a serious threat to peace and stability, Sharif emphasized that effective border management is vital to combat the menace of terrorism by preventing the cross-border movement of terrorists.

In this regard, he stressed the need to strengthen the quadrilateral mechanism formed by Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and China in August 2016 for combating terrorism, the statement concluded.