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Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met his Afghan counterpart Hanif Atmar on Saturday on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum (ADF), according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry (FO).
The two leaders exchanged views on issues of mutual concern, including the Afghan peace process, bilateral trade and economic relations, the statement said.
Stressing that close coordination is essential to advance bilateral relations and the Afghan peace process, the Foreign Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s coherent policy towards Afghanistan to strengthen bilateral relations in all fields and achieve a Peaceful and stable Afghanistan.
He reiterated that there was no military solution to the conflict and expressed hope that the Afghan leadership would realize the importance of the occasion and find a negotiated political settlement. “Peace in Afghanistan will bring stability, economic prosperity and regional connectivity,” he added.
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FM Qureshi also stressed the need to engage through agreed diplomatic channels instead of a “public blame game”, which only serves to vitiate the environment and strengthens the hand of spoilers.
The statement said FM Qureshi reaffirmed the importance of using relevant forums, including the Afghanistan-Pakistan Peace and Solidarity Action Plan (APAPPS) to address all bilateral issues.
Stressing the importance of border subsistence markets, the Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that the project would contribute to the economic development of people living in the border areas of the two countries. He urged the Afghan side to speed up its early finalization.
FM Qureshi also met with Jamiat-e-Islami Afghanistan leader Salahuddin Rabbani on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum (ADF), FO said.
Read also: The United States should systematically withdraw from Afghanistan: FM Qureshi
Recalling Rabbani’s visit in September 2019 for the third trilateral China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue, the Foreign Minister stressed the importance of continued engagement at all levels between the two countries.
FM Qureshi stressed that Pakistan attaches importance to all ethnic and political groups in Afghanistan. “The Tajik community has been an important part of the social and political fabric of Afghanistan,” he added.
Qureshi underscored Pakistan’s policy of strengthening broad engagement with Afghan political leaders and making concerted efforts to help Afghans reach a negotiated political settlement.
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