President General Pervez Musharraf on Sunday said that both Pakistan and Afghanistan need to take effective and concrete measures to remove mistrust and to build on their strengths for prosperity and well being of their two peoples.
Talking to Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the Presidential Palace here soon after arrival, Musharraf said that a prosperous future of the two countries was in building of a meaningful and sincere relationship that should be based on mutual trust and understanding.
The two leaders, who had an extensive one-on-one meeting, focussed their discussions on ways to build a strong relationship to jointly address the threats emanating from extremist and militant elements that are bent upon disturbing the peace and security of the entire region, a senior government official told APP after the talks.
The two leaders reviewed the measures taken by both sides to counter the terrorist elements, ways to further strengthen their bilateral relations and to improve their economic ties.
President Musharraf assured President Karzai of Pakistan's full support in dealing with the few elements hiding in the tribal areas and said that effective steps were being taken in this regard.
He told Karzai that Pakistan fully favoured a strong and stable Afghanistan and believed that the two countries could progress rapidly through greater economic interaction, increased trade and use of Afghanistan as a conduit for goods and services destined for the Central Asian Republics from Pakistan's sea ports.
Karzai said that the two countries have strong historical, cultural and religious bonds, and the holding of the joint jirga would further bring their peoples and the two governments closer, while helping in reducing misunderstandings and strengthening their resolve to fight the scourge of terrorism and extremism. President Musharraf, who flew into the Afghan capital early on Sunday morning to attend the Pak-Afghan Joint Peace Jirga, went to Presidential Palace soon after his arrival from Kabul International airport. The entire route was adorned with flags of the two countries, while strict security cover was in place to ensure safety of the leaders and the jirga delegates.
President Musharraf was accorded warm welcome when he arrived at the Presidential Palace.