- NSA tells UN meeting peace and prosperity of Afghanistan vital for Pakistan’s own security
- China, US support Afghan efforts to further advance reconciliation with Taliban, other armed groups
PM’s Adviser on National Security Sartaj Aziz has said that peace and prosperity of Afghanistan was essential for Pakistan’s own security, and Islamabad was ready to facilitate peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban militants.
Addressing a high-level event on the sidelines of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, Aziz reiterated Pakistan’s solidarity with Afghan people and expressed hope that the Afghan peace process would be resumed soon, as this as this was an important pre-requisite for peace and stability in the country.
He said Pakistan was ready to facilitate peace talks, if the Afghan government so desired.
The NSA stressed that Pakistan’s efforts to persuade the Afghan Taliban to participate in peace talks should not, however, be interpreted as indirect endorsement of the current surge of violence in Afghanistan.
The event “Afghanistan’s Peaceful Reconstruction and Regional Cooperation” co-hosted by Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and United States Secretary of State John Kerry was held on Saturday.
Participants of the event included, among others, Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Cevdet Yilmaz and the foreign ministers of Australia, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, Norway, and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
A number of delegations reiterated their pledge for long-term support for Afghanistan. They emphasised that “great games” of the past should be converted into the “great gains” for the future of Afghanistan.
It was underscored that the interest of Afghan people, who had suffered enormously in the past, should be held above everything. In this regard, the Afghan Government and the Taliban were encouraged to compromise and meet at “half way” for their country’s peace and stability.
A co-chair’s statement issued after the Event expressed long term support for political process, economic reconstruction, security and stability, regional cooperation as well as peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.