Pakistan's role as facilitator in Afghanistan provides opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations with neighbors -FO

Headline

Pakistan's role as facilitator in Afghanistan provides opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations with neighbors -FO

Intro

Pakistan's foreign office spokesman says Pakistan's important role as facilitator in Afghan peace process brings an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations with neighbors.

Story

Shotlist: ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (DECEMBER 27, 2018) (VNA – ACCESS ALL)

    FOREIGN OFFICE SPOKESMAN MOHAMMAD FAISAL ARRIVING AT WEEKLY NEW BRIEFING
    MINISTRY LOGO
    FAISAL HOLDING BRIEFING/JOURNALISTS SITTING
    (SOUNDBITE) (English) FOREIGN OFFICE SPOKESMAN MOHAMMAD FAISAL, SAYING: "Foreign minister, alongwith the foreign secretary visited four regional countries Afghanistan, Iran, China and Russia from December 24 to 26. This was art of government's policy of outreach in the neighbourhood. During these visits, foreign minister discussed Pakistan's bilateral relations with the senior leadership of these countries to strengthen cooperation in various areas."
    VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS
    (SOUNDBITE) (English) FOREIGN OFFICE SPOKESMAN MOHAMMAD FAISAL, SAYING: "The visit was essentially part of government's policy to strengthen relations with all neighbours and regional countries. That was the main thinking behind foreign minister Qureshi's four-country visit. As part of the same effort Foreign minister will visit Qatar also."
    REPORTERS
    (SOUNDBITE) (English) FOREIGN OFFICE SPOKESMAN MOHAMMAD FAISAL, SAYING: "Pakistan's longstanding position to give peace and reconciliation a real chance in Afghanistan has become the basis for an international consensus. Recent developments in Afghanistan, which include Moscow format consultations, Geneva conference on Afghanistan, the Abu Dhabi meeting have all led to this widely acknowledged agreement. The new opening in Afghanistan in willingness of all countries who agree on Pakistan's important role as facilitator has provided a significant opportunity to also strengthen our bilateral relations with all the neighbours."
    VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS

STORY: Pakistan's foreign office spokesman said on Thursday (December 27) that Pakistan's important role as facilitator in Afghanistan peace process brought an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations with neighbours.

Foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had embarked on a whirlwind four-nation tour on December 23. During the first leg of his trip, Qureshi visited Kabul where he met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani. During his meetings, the foreign minister stressed the importance of peace in Afghanistan for regional stability and renewed Pakistan's commitment to assist in the process.

"Foreign minister, alongwith the foreign secretary visited four regional countries Afghanistan, Iran, China and Russia from December 24 to 26. This was art of government's policy of outreach in the neighbourhood. During these visits, foreign minister discussed Pakistan's bilateral relations with the senior leadership of these countries to strengthen cooperation in various areas,"Foreign office spokesman Mohammad Faisal told journalists at a weekly news brieing in Islamabad.

After Afghanistan, Qureshi visited Tehran where he met his counterpart Javed Zarif and other top officials of the Iranian Foreign Ministry. In the third leg of this tour, Qureshi met his Chinese counterpart Wang Xi in Beijing.

On Wednesday, Qureshi held a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on his trip to Moscow, his last stop on a his four-nation tour. The ministers held in-depth talks on various bilateral and regional issues, including recent developments concerning the Afghan peace process.

The two sides "agreed to continue efforts, including through Moscow Format of Consultations, for supporting reconciliation under an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process", a press release issued by the Foreign Office said.

Faisal said foreign minister will also visit Qatar very soon.

"The visit was essentially part of government's policy to strengthen relations with all neighbours and regional countries. That was the main thinking behind foreign minister Qureshi's four-country visit. As part of the same effort Foreign minister will visit Qatar also,"he said.

Faisal said Pakistan's role as facilitator provided a significant opportunity to also strengthen bilateral relations with the neighbouring countries.

"Pakistan's longstanding position to give peace and reconciliation a real chance in Afghanistan has become the basis for an international consensus. Recent developments in Afghanistan, which include Moscow format consultations, Geneva conference on Afghanistan, the Abu Dhabi meeting have all led to this widely acknowledged agreement. The new opening in Afghanistan in willingness of all countries who agree on Pakistan's important role as facilitator has provided a significant opportunity to also strengthen our bilateral relations with all the neighbours,"he said.

Amid plans by the United States to withdraw about half of the 14,000 U.S. troops based in Afghanistan, Pakistan has welcomed the US decision asking it to explore opportunities to work together and renew the partnership, especially in bringing peace in Afghanistan and finding a closure to the 17-year-old war.

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