Pakistan and Afghanistan on Thursday signed a joint declaration to strengthen road, rail and air connectivity as well as upgrade existing facilities linking the two countries to enhance bilateral trade to $5billion by 2015.
The joint declaration that came at the end of the two-day visit of Afghan President Hamid Karzai was singed by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his Afghan counterpart Dr Zalmai Rassoul following a one-on-one meeting between Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and Karzai and delegation level talks between the high-ups of the two countries ahead of press briefing.
The joint declaration was termed as next step for comprehensive co-operation between the two countries by developing a roadmap for strengthening road, train and air communication links besides upgrading existing facilities. In this context, the two countries attached priority to undertaking completion of Peshawar-Jalalabad Expressway and completing feasibility study of Peshawar-Jalalabad rail link.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to make operational transport corridors on mutually agreed routes and agreed to expand aviation links and extend bus service to additional destinations; undertake joint studies on promotion and facilitation of multi-modal transport and enhance communication links.
Both the countries have also agreed to develop plans of action for customs harmonisation and trade facilitation to facilitate bilateral trade between the two countries and to optimally utilise the natural comparative economic advantage of both the countries for enhancing bilateral trade to $5 billion by the year 2015.
Both sides decided to establish a Silk Route CEOs Forum and establish Pakistan-Afghanistan Reconstruction Consortium, pool public and private corporate resources for reconstruction and development and to explore establishment of a Joint Investment Company to undertake joint development projects, including initiatives to develop region''s vast mineral and hydel wealth and also to consider setting up Economic and Industrial Zones.
The two sides also agreed to enhance the number of scholarships for Afghan students in Pakistani educational institutions from the current 1000 to 2000 and to make special arrangements for female Afghan students. They would establish an Institute of Management, Business Administration and Faculty Training in Afghanistan would also be established.
On capacity building side, Pakistan and Afghanistan decided to cooperate closely in capacity building of institutions. In this context, Pakistan offered extending assistance to Afghanistan, in setting up new capacity building institutions and upgrading the existing ones, in Afghanistan.
While in the field of agricultural they have agreed to focus on food processing, consider creation of a Pakistan-Afghanistan Food Bank to strengthen food security, initiate joint research in agriculture and crops substitution programmes. Comprehensive dialogue process would be initiated on environmental protection and mitigating impact of climate change.
Pakistan and Afghanistan decided to evolve joint strategy for early completion of Trans-Afghan energy projects with particular focus on CASA-1000 and Turkmenistan and Afghanistan Gas Pipeline.
Both the sides have also agreed to further strengthen people to people contacts, and promote exchanges among intellectuals, parliamentarians, journalists, academia and students. In this regard close links would be established among the media including print, radio and television of the two countries and to promote cultural exchanges.
The two countries also reaffirmed their mutual commitment to respect each other''s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, consolidate good neighbourly relations, and uphold the principles of the United Nations Charter.
Emphasising that strong Pakistan-Afghanistan ties are important for regional peace, security and development, the statement also recalled the Kabul Declaration on Good Neighbourly Relations of 22 December 2002 and the Joint Declaration on Directions of Bilateral Co-operation signed between Pakistan and Afghanistan on January 6, 2009 in Kabul.