Islamabad, Nov 2, IRNA - Iran and Pakistan on Wednesday held informal consultations regarding the regional situation where it was mutually agreed that lasting peace in Afghanistan is imperative.

According to Pakistan Foreign Ministry statement, the first round of the discussion took place at the level of director generals of the ministries of foreign affairs. Both sides agreed to join hands to ensure peace and stability of the war-torn neighbouring Afghanistan.

“In the consultations Pakistani delegation was led by Director General (Afghanistan) Mansoor Ahmad Khan in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs while the Iranian side was led by Director General Rasoul Eslami of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who visited Islamabad for these consultations,” it said.

The two Directors General 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. 

“Underlining that there was no military solution to the prolonged Afghan conflict, they emphasized the need for a credible political process owned and led by Afghanistan for an internal settlement,” said the statement.

Pakistan 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 was a major threat to global and regional peace, the two sides discussed that threats such as increasing terrorism and violence in Afghanistan, rising drug production and trafficking and expanding foothold of Daesh, especially posed challenge for Afghanistan and its neighbourhood. 

They emphasized the need of concerted efforts and cooperation among all the states in counter-terrorism, border management and combating production and trafficking of narcotics. The two sides also underscored importance of dignified return and resettlement of refugees in Afghanistan.

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.