Pak-Afghan-US trilateral talks due today

Senior officials of Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States will be holding a trilateral dialogue in the Afghan capital today (Tuesday).

Foreign Secretarty Salman Bashir, who is in Kabul on the invitation of the Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister, will attend the meeting.

Earlier, after arriving in the Afghan capital, the foreign secretary met with President Hamid Karzai. In the meeting, Karzai stressed that close collaboration between Pakistan and Afghanistan is essential for regional peace and development.

Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir underscored Pakistan’s commitment to facilitate an “Afghan-led and Afghan-owned” process for reconciliation and peace.

The Foreign Secretary also gave an invitation from Prime Minister Gilani to President Karzai to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience which he accepted.

Salman Bashir also met with the Chairman of High Peace Council, Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are working to set in motion a high-level joint commission tasked with managing direct negotiations with the Afghan Taliban as part of the effort by both countries to end the decade-old war.