Remarks of H.E. Dr. Zalmai Rassoul, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan at a Joint Press Conference with H.E. Mr. Sartaj Aziz, Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on National Security and Foreign Affairs Kabul, 21 July 2013 bismillah arrahman arrahim Dear friends of the free media, Dear guests, Assalamualaikom wa rahmatullah, Welcome to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As you are aware, Senior Advisor to His Excellency the Prime Minister of Pakistan on national security and foreign affairs His Excellency Mr. Sartaj aziz is in Kabul today. I want to welcome him and his accompanying delegation and thank him for visiting Kabul during the blessed month of Ramazan. I would also like to congratulate him on his new position. This is his first trip to Kabul after the installation of the new government in Pakistan. I hope that his one-day visit in Afghanistan passes well and that we can extend appropriate hospitality to him. His Excellency Mr. Aziz will also meet with the Commerce Minister Mr. Anwarulhaq Ahadi, and will be His Excellency President Hamid Karzai’s iftar guest this evening. Afghanistan and Pakistan are two neighboring countries whose destinies are tied with each other more than any other juncture in history. Prosperity in one country will bring prosperity in its neighbor, too. If the situation in one of the two countries is full of challenges and problems, or there is no security and stability, it will affect the peace, security and stability of the other country as well. It has been based on this reason that the current Afghan Government, under the leadership of His Excellency President Hamid Karzai, has undertaken the most efforts, compared to any other Afghan government in the past, towards improving and strengthening relations with Pakistan, especially in strengthening cooperation between the two countries in effectively fighting against terrorism. No other government has made so many efforts towards this end! But unfortunately so far these efforts of the Afghan government haven’t borne positive results. Therefore, we earnestly hope to open a new page of honest and result-oriented cooperation with the newly elected Pakistani government under the leadership of His Excellency Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the participation of other leaders such as His Excellency Mr. Aziz and their other colleagues. There are those who talk about Pakistan’s strategic depth in Afghanistan. In the view of the Afghan government, the best strategic depth that Pakistan can have in Afghanistan is friendship, brotherhood and honest cooperation between the two countries and nations. As I pointed out before, the Afghan government is hopeful to have considerable progress and achievements with the new elected Pakistani government in cooperation between the two countries in all areas, including cooperation in fighting against terrorism and extremism and the networks and systems supporting them, on the peace process, in the political, economic, and cultural arenas and in people to people relations. These are a few main points which we discussed with His Excellency Mr. Aziz today and I just briefly shared them with you. These and other topics will also be discussed in his next meetings and discussions here. I once again would like to welcome His Excellency Mr. Aziz and his accompanying delegation to Kabul. Before we get to your questions, I would like to ask His Excellency to say a few words. mfa.gov.af/en/news/remarks-of-he-dr-zalmai-rassoul-foreign-minister-of-the-islamic-republic-of-afghanistan-at-a-joint-press-conference-with-he-mr-sartaj-aziz-senior-advi
Posted on: Sun, 21 Jul 2013 14:07:50 +0000
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