TOKYO: Pakistan, Afghan-istan and United States here on Sunday agreed to work together for Afghan peace process. T0hey committed to break ties with international terrorism, renounce violence and abide by Afghanistan's constitution.
The joint statement was issued by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Afghanistan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar at the First Ministerial Level Core Group Trilateral Meeting.
The statement said, "Capitalising on the opportunity afforded by the Tokyo Conference, which represents the culmination of a period of intensive engagement between Afghanistan and the international community -we convened the first ministerial-level Core Group meeting today."
"We reaffirmed that the purpose of the Core Group is to enhance co-operation between Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States to support an Afghan peace and reconciliation process and further affirmed that;
Afghanistan should be a peaceful, secure, stable and prosperous nation living in a peaceful, secure, stable and prosperous region supported by enduring partnerships with the international community." The statement acknowledged that great effort and sacrifice by the people of Afghanistan has decimated al Qaeda's core leadership in the region, reducing the threat to international peace and security that led the international community to intervene in Afghanistan in 2001.
The Foreign ministers stressed that Afghanistan should never again be a safe haven from which al Qaeda or other terrorist groups threaten international peace and security.
As agreed at Istanbul and Bonn in 2011, and reaffirmed at Chicago and Tokyo in 2012, the surest way to lasting peace and security for Afghanistan and the broader region is through an Afghan political process of peace and reconciliation for Afghanistan, they noted.
They said this process should be supported by Afghanistan's neighbours and by the international community.
"After 30 years of war, all Afghans should be able to live together in peace. Only Afghans can determine how they live together, how the future of their country must be shaped, and how their country should relate to the region and beyond.
We are committed to work together to support an inclusive Afghan peace process through which individuals and groups break ties with international terrorism, renounce violence, and abide by Afghanistan's constitution, including the protections for the rights of all Afghan women and men. As the international community reaffirmed at Bonn and again at Tokyo, these are the necessary outcomes of any negotiation," the statement said.
Foreign Minister Rassoul welcomed Pakistan's and the United States' support for Afghan peace efforts, noting especially former Prime Minister Gilani's February 2012 statement expressing Pakistan's support for Afghan reconciliation and calling on the Afghan Taliban and related groups to participate in an intra-Afghan process for reconciliation and peace.
"To build further momentum, we reaffirmed the importance of pursuing multiple channels and contacts with the armed opposition. Pakistan and Afghanistan committed to take full advantage of upcoming bilateral exchanges, including Pakistani Prime Minister Ashraf's forthcoming visit to Kabul and High Peace Council Chairman Rabbani's planned visit to Islamabad.
These visits should determine and implement additional concrete steps to advance Afghan confidence building through the Istanbul process, since enhanced co-operation between Afghanistan and its neighbours on issues such as narcotics, refugees, and regional trade will help create an environment for long term stability and prosperity," the statement further said.
The three leaders welcomed the broad international support for an Afghan peace process, reaffirmed here in Tokyo, and emphasised that the upcoming opening of the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly provides additional opportunities to support and advance Afghan peace efforts.
They said, "We reiterate our call for the armed opposition to abandon violence and enter a dialogue with the Afghan government."
"We call on all parties to devote their energy to realising this vision, respond in the same spirit, and commit to support an Afghan political process that will result in lasting peace, security, stability, and prosperity for Afghanistan and the region," they added.