Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmoud Qureshi met Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara on Friday, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Their visit comes amid increasing efforts by the Afghan government and the international community, US on the top, for a political settlement to the war in Afghanistan.
Qureshi is accompanying Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on his visit to Turkey.
“Foreign Minister Qureshi briefed Mr. Cavusoglu about the recent developments concerning peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan,” the statement said.
He also informed his Turkish counterpart, in detail, about Pakistan’s outreach efforts to most important neighbors and regional countries, in the recent weeks, including Afghanistan, Iran, China, Russia and Qatar.
According to the statement, Qureshi said the desire to support and facilitate an inclusive, Afghan-owned and Afghan-led process had emerged as a notable convergence and shared desire among all, particularly Afghanistan’s neighbors, who had serious stakes in an amicable resolution of the four decades old conflict.
The Turkish Foreign Minister meanwhile said that Pakistan and Turkey, as close partners, would continue their efforts to promote synergies on important issues.
Qureshi appreciated Turkey’s key role in strengthening regional cooperation on Afghanistan through the Heart of Asia or the Istanbul process, the statement said.
“Both sides expressed satisfaction on the trajectory of bilateral relations, symbolized by unprecedented traditional warmth and affection, at the people’s level,” the statement added.
The Pakistani Foreign Minister visited Kabul two times last year in December to discuss bilateral cooperation, relations between the two countries and the peace process in Afghanistan.
