Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday signed five agreements and a protocol to enhance co-operation between the two countries in culture, media, tourism besides, launching a bus service. The signing ceremony, followed by a round of delegation-level talks here at the PM house, was witnessed by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The two leaders, earlier, had about half an hour-long exclusive meeting, where they discussed bilateral matters, regional situation, co-operation in the war on terrorism and measures to boost bilateral trade.
In a brief statement, Shaukat Aziz said the two countries discussed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) gas pipeline project and the need of having an energy corridor through Afghanistan.
"We talked about a host of issues, including ways to re-energise the Economic Co-operation Organisation (ECO) and the role Afghanistan can play in the regional grouping", said Shaukat.
The prime minister said Pakistan and Afghanistan have deep-rooted ties, adding: "The talks encompassed measures to further boost these ties through enhanced trade and economic co-operation."
Hamid Karzai said the strong relations between the two countries would translate into stronger links among the people, adding: "The people-to-people contacts are moving ahead at a speed, hard even for the two governments to catch up with and will benefit the people of the two countries."
He was also appreciative of the very warm hospitality extended to him.
The agreements on the bus service relate to starting bus service between Peshawar and Jalalabad and Quetta and Kandahar.
They also signed a protocol on regular consultations between the ministries of foreign affairs, which were signed by Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and his Afghan counterpart Abdullah Abdullah.
The agreements from the Pakistan side were signed by Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Culture Minister Muhammad Ajmal Khan, and Tourism Minister Dr Ghazi Gulab Jamal and their Afghan counterparts.
Hamid Karzai is on a two-day official visit to Pakistan. This was his fourth bilateral visit.
Earlier, he held talks with President General Pervez Musharraf.
President Karzai's visit, coinciding with the 65th anniversary of Pakistan Resolution, is reflective of the close brotherly relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, said a foreign office statement.
The two countries have a trade volume of around $1 billion. Pakistan has taken a number of measures to further increase trade and established a third border crossing at Ghulam Khan in Waziristan.
It has set up nine additional customs stations in border areas, and reduced duty on import of Afghan fruits.
For enhancing Afghan transit trade, port charges for Afghan goods have been reduced by 50 percent and railway charges by 25 percent.
The NLC has also been authorised to transport Afghan transit goods while the Port Qasim has been declared an additional entry point for Afghan goods, while infrastructure facilities are also being upgraded to promote transit trade. Pakistan is actively participating in Afghan reconstruction and $100 million pledged by Pakistan for the reconstruction of Afghanistan, while $43.36 million has already been utilised.
The projects undertaken by Pakistan include rehabilitation of Torkham-Jalalabad Road, establishment of hospitals in Kabul, Jalalabad, and Logar as well as faculty blocks in Kabul and Jalalabad universities.
Pakistan has also given two radio transmitters to the Afghan government and would donate 100 buses shortly. Pakistan also donated 200 trucks last year.
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