ISLAMABAD – Foreign Minister Khwaja Asif emphasized the need of a regionalapproach for lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan, and the region.
Addressing to the Tashkent Conference on Afghanistan today (Tuesday), hesaid Pakistan had consistently stressed for resolution of Afghan conflictthrough a political settlement.
He said that bringing Taliban to the table and establishing peace andstability in Afghanistan was a shared responsibility of the internationalcommunity.
He reiterated Pakistan’s support for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’snational peace and reconciliation plan and his offer of peace talks to theTaliban under an Afghan-led and owned process. He said there was need ofcollective pressure on Taliban to avail this opportunity to shun violenceand join the peace process.
On the margins of the Tashkent Conference, Foreign Minister Khwaja Asifcalled on Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of theConference.
The two sides reaffirmed commitment to continued efforts for deepeningbilateral relations through concrete cooperation in trade, economy, defenceand cultural fields.
Khwaja Asif also held bilateral meetings with Turkish Foreign MinisterMevlut Cevasoglu, EU Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini, Kyrgyz ForeignMinister Abdildaev Erlan and Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Li Baodong.