Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey agree to enhance cooperation to fight terrorism
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey agree to enhance cooperation to fight terrorism
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey Monday reiterated that terrorism is a crime against humanity and agreed to elaborate further steps to decisively counter the nexus of terrorism, extremism and narcotics. Following a meeting of the foreign ministers of these three countries, they expressed their resolve to increase cooperation among their relevant security and intelligence institutions in this regard.
They underscored the importance of enhanced cooperation, including through joint training opportunities and exercises among the armed forces of the three countries.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu, Minister of Foreign Affairs Afghanistan Dr. Zalmai Rassoul and Foreign Minister of Pakistan Mahkdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi attended the meeting.
The meeting took place on the basis of the decision taken at the Third Trilateral Summit held in Ankara on 1 April 2009 to supplement the Trilateral Summit Process with the meetings at the level of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the three countries.
The ministers recalled the invaluable contribution of the Trilateral Summit Process as a robust platform, since its launch on 30 April 2007, in furthering the multi-dimensional dialogue and cooperation among the three countries for their peoples’ as well as their region’s benefit.
They underscored the importance of the Trilateral Summit Process as a useful mechanism to develop, implement and oversee cooperation in a broad range of issues including, among others, trade, economy, including support to private sector interaction, education, security and intelligence.
They further emphasized the added value brought by the Trilateral Summit Process in facilitating exchanges among parliamentarians, high-level government officials, members of the armed forces, intelligence circles and businesspersons.
Recalling the decisions taken at the fourth Trilateral Summit held in Istanbul on 25 January 2010, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs underlined that education was another important topic on which the three countries agreed to increase their cooperation in the time ahead.
They also recalled the decision taken by the three Presidents to expand and strengthen the trilateral cooperation, committing all their relevant institutions and expressed their determination to take it forward.
The three Ministers had a comprehensive exchange of views on the implementation of the decisions taken hitherto in the framework of the Trilateral Summit Process.
They welcomed the progress made to date. They recalled the decision to focus on closer cooperation in economic infrastructure particularly in the field of energy, trade and transportation at the next Summit meeting, exchanged views on the steps to be taken in the time ahead in preparation of the next Trilateral
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Referring to efforts to realize freight transport by railway between Pakistan and Turkey, the three Ministers concurred on the potential benefits of developing projects with a view to improving regional connectivity and agreed to further elaborate on this issue in the context of the preparations of the fifth Trilateral Summit.
At the meeting, Dr. Zalmai Rassoul provided an overview on the results of the National Consultative Peace Jirga. The three Ministers of Foreign Affairs also exchanged views on the upcoming Kabul Conference.
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of Turkey reiterated, on this occasion, their continued support for a stable, prosperous and peaceful Afghanistan; expressed their commitment to Afghan ownership of all efforts under way; and underscored their resolve to work with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan for the success of the upcoming Kabul Conference, Parliamentary elections on 18 September 2010 and for longer-term stability, reconstruction and development of Afghanistan.
On that basis, the three Foreign Ministers discussed a detailed roadmap with a view to maximizing the added value brought by the Trilateral Process to increased cooperation among their countries.
They extended their support to the Consultative Peace Jirga held in Kabul on 2-4 June 2010, and expressed their readiness to attend the Kabul Conference of 20 July and agreed to convene the Joint Working Group to contribute to the preparations of the Conference.
They called upon the Istanbul Forum to convene in Kabul preferably in the aftermath of the Kabul Conference and before the Parliamentary elections with a view to furthering the interaction among the private sectors of the three countries.
The decided that the fourth Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) to be held in Turkey after the 18 September 2010 Parliamentary elections in Afghanistan would inter alia review the outcomes of the previous RECCA meetings with a view to taking them forward and developing a mechanism for their implementation.
They commissioned the Istanbul Forum to organize an expanded private sector meeting on the margins of the upcoming RECCA in Turkey.
The ministers also recommended that the fifth Trilateral Summit among the Presidents of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of Turkey be convened early next year.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey informed on this occasion his counterparts about the second Turkish civilian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team to be established in Jowzjan province in northern Afghanistan, which will also cover Sar-e Pol province.
The Ministers strongly condemned the terrorist attacks in their countries resulting in the loss of lives.
They paid tribute to great sacrifices made by the security forces in defence of the people against the terrorists and reiterated their condolences to the bereaved families.
Referring to the critical importance of training and education as the single most important means in the context of investing in human capital, as well as improving people-to-people bonds, the three ministers
committed to boosting trilateral training and education programs among their countries and broadening its scope by offering additional opportunities.
Stressing their strong conviction that enhanced regional cooperation among Afghanistan and its neighbours is an indispensable pillar of efforts aimed at comprehensively tackling regional challenges as well as promoting mutually beneficial cooperation, the Ministers reiterated their commitment to the shared vision, principles of cooperation as well as the concrete proposals for regional cooperation set out by the Istanbul Statement adopted at the conclusion of Istanbul Summit on Friendship and Cooperation
in the “Heart of Asia” held on 26 January 2010.
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They recalled that the Istanbul Statement as well as the vision set out therein was welcomed by the United Nations Security Council in its resolution 1917.
They commended Turkey’s efforts to hold the Minds Platform meeting this year in implementation of the decisions of the Istanbul Statement.
The Ministers also underlined their commitment to the success of the upcoming fourth Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan to be held in Turkey later this year.
The three Ministers reiterated their commitment to maintain close and regular consultations including in the framework of the Trilateral Summit Process to the benefit of the peoples of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey and emphasized their strong resolve to deepen and strengthen their cooperation.
The Ministers of Afghanistan and Pakistan condemned the Israeli aggression in violation of international law on the Freedom Flotilla destined for Gaza which resulted in the loss of lives, underlined their solidarity with the Government and people of Turkey and expressed their condolences to the people of Turkey and families of the victims.
The Ministers of Afghanistan and Pakistan expressed their sincere thanks to Ahmet Davutoglu and the Government of the Republic of Turkey for hosting the meeting.
