Pakistan, Afghan FMs begin talks on security cooperation
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Islamabad, Oct 22, IRNA
Pakistan-Afghan FMs
Pakistan and Afghan Foreign Ministers opened talks in Islamabad on Wednesday to step up cooperation against Taliban, official sources said.
Afghan Foreign Minister Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday and is holding bilateral talks with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi, they said.
"Both sides will take forward the dialogue process held between President Hamid Karzai and President Asif Ali Zardari last month in Islamabad," officials said.
Mr Karzai traveled to Islamabad to attend the swear-in ceremony of President Zardari.
Foreign Ministry says that Afghan Foreign Minister will also call on the Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Foreign Minister Spanta is also expected to meet the President, Speaker National Assembly, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Interior and the National Security Advisor of Pakistan, a Foreign Ministry statement said.
Both sides will discuss security situation along the Pak-Afghan border as Afghan and American authorities still believe that militants are planning attacks in Afghanistan in Pakistan's tribal regions.
The U.S has stepped up missile strikes and American forces intruded into Pakistan's South Waziristan region last month and killed 20 people, including women and children.
Diplomatic sources said that Afghan Foreign Minister will raise the issue of missing Afghan ambassador-designate to Pakistan Abdul Khaliq Farahi, who was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen from the northern city of Peshawar.
The gunmen had killed his driver and kidnapped Mr. Farahi on September 22 and there has been no information about him since then.
The Afghan foreign ministry has urged Pakistan to take practical steps to secure the release of their ambassador-designate, but there is no success so for.
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