Afghan strategy will continue for prosperity: trilateral core group meeting held

Pakistan, United States and Afghanistan on Tuesday agreed to continue co-operation on Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process for peace, security, development and prosperity in the region. The commitment was made during the fourth trilateral meeting of core group of Pakistan, US and Afghanistan that held here at the Foreign Office.
Pakistan was represented by Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir, US special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan Ambassador Marc Grossman led his country's delegation while deputy foreign minister of Afghanistan, Jawaid Lodin represented Afghanistan in the talks.
Later, speaking at the joint news conference, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir said the three countries have been discussing more specifically the Afghan-led, Afghan-owned reconciliation process. He said the delegates held very positive, constructive and productive interaction during the core group meeting. For Pakistan, he said this was one way to express solidarity with Afghan brothers, adding that Pakistan fully supports the broad-based process of reconciliation, which is under way under the leadership of Afghanistan. He said Pakistan being an immediate neighbour wants to be helpful in the peace process with the US co-operation.
He said under the consultative mechanisms, the core group was also focusing more on the issues related to development and co-operation with the US and international community's support. He said Ambassador Grossman and Lodin held separate meetings with Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and they held very positive and constructive bilateral interaction with her. "We feel very confident that our common interests that are based on a very broad degree of convergence of interests and convergence of strategic objectives in building stability, peace and prosperity in relations would bear fruit," Bashir added.
The foreign secretary also assured Pakistan's full support to the broad-based reconciliation process initiative by Afghan leadership adding that Pakistan believes in sovereignty of Afghanistan.
Grossman, while recognising Pakistan important role in peace and stability in Afghanistan, said that Islamabad has to play a key role in the Afghan reconciliation process. He also urged Kabul to continue consultation process with its neighbours, adding that regional support was imperative for peace in Afghanistan. He said that the interaction was aimed at supporting and co-operating in the process of reconciliation, which is Afghan led and Afghan owned. "The US is in support of the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process," he said. Lodin said on the occasion that elimination of terrorism is Afghanistan's biggest challenge. He, however, said that Afghans are ready to take over affairs of their own security. "We want to take forward our agenda with the help of Pakistan and United States," he added. He said that the reconciliation process would be made the basic principal for peace and stability in Afghanistan.
He further said that the situation in Afghanistan requires co-operation, adding that the transitional process has been started which is the outcome of 10 years intensive co-operation of the international community and resultantly the Afghan troops were now gradually taking control of its own security affairs. He said that the peace agenda, which is Afghan led and Afghan owned requires co-operation, which would also be in the best interests of the US and Afghanistan.
Referring to the co-operation of Pakistan in the Afghan reconciliation process, he said we need to work with more urgency and make the reconciliation process more result-oriented. He also stressed the need of economic co-operation for the prosperity of Afghanistan.