KABUL – High level security officials from Afghanistan and Pakistan held ameeting in Islamabad and agreed to resume efforts for peace negotiations inAfghanistan and to speed up the process of implementing the joint actionplan for peace, officials said on Monday.

This comes a day after a high-level Afghan security delegation led byNational Security Advisor Mohammad Hanif Atmar arrived in Pakistan wherethey held discussions with Pakistani officials on a number of key issuespertaining to Afghanistan’s security, the war on terrorism, mutualcooperation and regional issues.

According to officials at the National Security Council (NSC) the twocountries also agreed to take specific steps regarding the implementationof the joint action plan for peace and for reducing the scale of threats.

“High level meetings were held with Pakistan’s national security advisor,army chief, the leadership of Pakistan security institutions, deputyminister of foreign affairs, head of operations, the economic advisor ofPakistan’s prime minister and other high level officials, the meetings wereheld in a cordial and conducive atmosphere,” the NSC said in a statement onMonday.

Meanwhile the Pakistan army said in a statement that military officialsfrom the two countries have agreed to the resumption of peace talks.

“Pakistan and Afghanistan have expressed the resolve to work together tostrengthen bilateral relations and improve the security situation in theregion. This understanding was reached during a meeting between ahigh-level Afghan delegation and National Security Advisor Nasser KhanJanjua,” the Pakistani government said in a statement following the meeting.

“Before this similar trips had taken place, unfortunately they left noresults and the situation in the country worsened,” said MP Akbar Stanekzai.

“It was decided to form more committees within the framework of this toconduct more discussions on the issue,” said the interior ministry’sspokesman Najib Danish.

“On the security front, the two sides agreed to take all necessary measuresrelating to the implementation of 66 items of commitments listed in theJoint Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity which forms the core componentof a comprehensive framework for bilateral cooperation,” said the NSA’soffice.

Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to draw up a plan in April followingPakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s trip to Kabul where he heldtalks with Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani.