ISLAMABAD: Ahead of an international conference on Afghanistan to be held in London at the end of January, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan on Saturday signed a joint declaration calling for a regional solution to Afghanistan.
“Our region is hard hit by terrorism, extremism, militancy and drug-financed terrorism both in Pakistan and Afghanistan. We have decided here today to seek a comprehensive and sustainable solution to keep the region clean from the menace of terrorism which has disturbed regional peace and progress,” said the foreign ministers of the three countries in their Trilateral Joint Declaration.
It was agreed during the declaration that a tripartite commission of the three countries would present a common agenda at the upcoming conference on Afghanistan in London.
“We have evolved a joint mechanism which is a means of bringing about peace, security and progress, and combating narco-financed terrorism which has disturbed regional peace. When I say regional peace, I not only mean Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan but other states which border Afghanistan in Central Asia,” said Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Qureshi said only regional players — including Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey and other Middle East powers — could play a formidable role for an intra-Afghan reconciliation. He said Pakistanis would not accept any Indian role in such a conference, adding that it was agreed that a trilateral meeting of interior ministers would be held in Islamabad.
He also said that the finance ministers of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan would meet in Kabul and that the intelligence heads of the three countries would meet in Tehran.
Qureshi said the three countries are endeavoring to bring peace and security, and cleaning the region from terrorism and militancy.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said terrorism has no geographical boundaries.
“This menace has a rolling down effect,” he said, adding that the three countries have a greater responsibility to face and greater challenges to surmount.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Rangin Dafdar Spanta and Mottaki agreed to abolish all terrorist elements from their countries. They also said there is a need to expedite the process of dialogue with Taleban factions.
Spanta said Afghanistan would not allow its territory to be used by India or any other country against anyone.
Pakistan’s Parliament lately adopted a resolution, which it sent to the Foreign Office, seeking a peaceful resolution to Afghanistan and calling on the world community to curtail India’s influence in Afghanistan.
