Pakistan and Iran held first ever informal consultation on Wednesday on regional situation, especially the efforts of peace and stability in Afghanistan, with emphasis that there is no military solution to Afghan conflict. Foreign Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said that the first round of the informal consultations was held in Islamabad at the level of director generals of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs.
In the consultations, Pakistani delegation was led by Director General Afghanistan in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mansoor Ahmad Khan while the Iranian side was led by Director General Rasoul Eslami of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who visited Islamabad for these consultations.
"The two DGs reaffirmed commitment and support of Pakistan and Iran to the efforts of Afghanistan and international community for achieving lasting peace, stability and progress in Afghanistan, which is important for regional stability," he said.
Underlining that there is no military solution to the prolonged Afghan conflict, they emphasized the need of a credible political process owned and led by Afghanistan for an internal settlement. Zakaria said that Pakistan delegation stated that it attaches importance to engagement with Afghanistan in political, security, economic and people-to-people interaction to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.
Recognizing that terrorism is a major threat to global and regional peace, he said that the two sides discussed that threats such as increasing terrorism and violence in Afghanistan, rising drug production and trafficking and expanding foothold of Daesh specially pose challenge for Afghanistan and its neighbourhood.
"They emphasized the need of concerted efforts and cooperation among all the states in counterterrorism, border management and combating production and trafficking of narcotics," he said, adding the two sides also underscored importance of dignified return and resettlement of refugees in Afghanistan. He said that the ways for deepening regional economic cooperation and enhancing connectivity between the countries of the region were also discussed.
This was the first round of bilateral consultations with Iran on regional peace and security with focus on the situation in Afghanistan. The two sides agreed to continue these informal consultations as part of their strong commitment to peace, stability and progress in Afghanistan, and the region, the spokesperson added. The development came following India dispatched its first consignment of wheat on Sunday to Afghanistan via Iranian port of Chabahar, which the Indian government called it a "landmark moment."