Pakistan’s top diplomat on Monday praised a recently adopted declaration in Istanbul on the war-torn country of Afghanistan as part of a meeting of Heart of Asia countries.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the most important part of the talks was “the consensus to resolve challenges within Afghanistan.”
Qureshi was in Istanbul as part of the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process that convened at Dolmabahce Palace under the theme of Peace, Partnership, and Prosperity.
“The Istanbul declaration is a very comprehensive document that has been agreed upon and has been shared with all participants which sets the tone for the future,” he said, referring to the document adopted at the end of the meeting.
“The plan of action that has been agreed upon is a step forward and the guidelines, the working principles for the Heart of Asia are an important step forward,” he added.
“There is no military solution to Afghanistan,” he said. “What Afghanistan needs is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned forces supported by the international community.”
The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process — a regional initiative of Afghanistan and Turkey launched in 2011 — has two chairs, with Afghanistan as the permanent chair and a co-chair from among the member states that shifts each year.
“The process aims to promote regional security, economic and political cooperation centered on Afghanistan through dialogue and confidence-building measures,” according to the organization’s website.
On recently resumed Afghan peace talks, Pakistan’s top diplomat said: “I think good progress was made in the peace talks before they were interrupted.”
“I’m glad they have resumed,” he said as peace talks between the Taliban and the US restarted in the Qatari capital Doha last week.
“Pakistan has wholeheartedly supported the peace process and is also equally supportive of an intra-Afghan dialogue,” Qureshi said.
“What we are looking for is a stable, peaceful Afghanistan,” he said. “If there was an opportunity of peace, it is today.”
Noting that there was “a great possibility of reaching an agreement,” he said: “We should not fail, because God forbid, if we fail, I see regional peace and security under threat.”
Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump met his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani during a surprise Thanksgiving visit to US troops in Afghanistan, where he claimed his administration had resumed peace talks with the Taliban and the insurgent group was willing to observe a ceasefire, a claim that confused most observers.
