German FM takes Hina Rabbani Khar into confidence over Bonn outcome

Dr Guido Westerwelle hoped Pakistan would continue to extend support for peace and development in Afghanistan.

ISLAMABAD: German Foreign Minister Dr Guido Westerwelle called Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar Monday night to take Pakistan into confidence over the outcome of the Bonn Conference on Afghanistan.

(Read: Bonn conference: Afghanistan assured conditional support for another decade)

Pakistan, which had decided to sit out the conference following a border incident in which 24 Pakistani troops were killed, Dr Westerwelle hoped, would continue extending its valuable support for peace and development in Afghanistan.

He hoped that Pakistan would strive towards achieving political reconciliation in Afghanistan.

Foreign Minister Khar assured him that Pakistan would carefully examine the Bonn declaration, while acknowledging Germany’s valuable contributions in bringing about peace in Afghanistan.

Khar stressed that stability in Afghanistan was essential for peace in Pakistan and the region. It was therefore necessary that all worked together on the basis of mutual respect to attain the shared objective, Khar said adding Pakistan was determined to continue striving for peace and prosperity in the region.

Pakistan and the Taliban stayed away from the Bonn conference, which sought to review progress made over the past decade in Afghanistan and deciding upon a future course of action to make Afghanistan peaceful and stable.

The conference pledged on Monday to sustain support to Afghanistan for another decade, in exchange for clear progress on good governance.