DUSHANBE: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Tajikistan on Sunday reiterated their resolve to promote and strengthen trade and economic co-operation in the region besides joining hands to fight the menace of terrorism, militancy and drug trafficking for a win-win situation.
This was agreed during a quadrilateral meeting among President Asif Ali Zardari, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon here in the capital of Central Asian state.
The leaders of four brotherly nations, who were together for Novruz celebrations hosted by Tajikistan, used the occasion for a quadrilateral meeting to discuss matters of mutual interest including the ways and means to strengthen trade and economic co-operation among their countries.
Spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar said that President Zardari stressed the need of enhanced regional co-operation to curb the menace and nexus of drug trafficking and militancy, a major impediment in the trade and economic development of the region.
The President said he had taken up the issue at international level and would continue to pursue it adding, "we must work together." In the context of regional energy co-operation, President Zardari said Pakistan was committed to realise and complete the Iran-Pakistan (IP) and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline projects.
"I look forward to work with you on all issues of mutual interest," he added. President Zardari said non-state actors wanted to destabilise Afghanistan, adding, but Pakistan was committed to peace in the region, particularly Afghanistan, as a stable Afghanistan was also in the interest of Pakistan.
The President said in the post 2014 geo-strategic scenario after drawdown of foreign forces from Afghanistan, closer co-operation among the four brotherly countries in all fields, particularly in defence, security and intelligence sharing assumes greater significance.
All the four leaders were unanimous that terrorism and militancy pose a serious threat to peace, security and socio-economic development of the region and need to be tackled jointly and through regional approach and solutions. They were of the view that the strong bonds among them rooted in the shared history of culture, religion and traditions need to be translated into closer co-operation in trade, communication, transportation, energy, infrastructure etc for mutual benefit.