PR No. 145 PAKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN HOLD TALKS ON BORDER MANAGEMENT ISSUES Islamabad: June 20, 2016.

An Afghan delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai visited Islamabad today for discussions on issues relating to the Torkham border and other matters pertaining to border management. The Pakistan delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry.

The Afghan delegation arrived in Islamabad following a telephone conversation of Mr. Sartaj Aziz, Adviser on Foreign Affairs with Afghan National Security Adviser Mr. Hanif Atmar on 15 June 2016 to address the situation arising from recent events at the Torkham border crossing and to find a way forward on efforts for border management.

Today’s talks between the two delegations were held in a cordial atmosphere marked by a mutual desire to amicably resolve border related issues. Both sides decided to work in the spirit of good neighbourly relations and friendly cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides agreed that the ideas generated in today’s deliberations will be shared with the leadership and further discussed and refined during a meeting between the Adviser and the Afghan Foreign Minister on the sidelines of the forthcoming SCO Summit in Tashkent on 23-24 June 2016.

During the discussions, it was emphasized that there was a need for creating a suitable mechanism for consultation on border management issues. Effective border management is vital for promoting peace, countering terrorism and strengthening relations between the two countries.

The Afghan Deputy Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai also paid a courtesy call on Mr. Sartaj Aziz.

PREVIOUS NEXT