Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Friday that the Afghan government is ready to conduct government-to-government talks with Pakistan, according to a Tolo News report.
“We remain committed as a partner to counter terrorist threats in the region and ready to expand our cooperation with all the countries,” he said while addressing the seventh Heart of Asia Conference in Azerbaijan.
He stressed the need for regional connectivity and cooperation in trade and transit as well as in the fight against terrorism and ensuring stability in Afghanistan and across the region.
“We have created the reality of regional connectivity,” Ghani said. “We all have shared responsibilities and Afghanistan is ready to cooperate with all stakeholders in this arena.”
Ghani added: “We ask for full regional cooperation to establish mechanisms of verification and coordination for [the] elimination of this threat.”
The Afghan president continued that the “war on terror is not just an Afghan or regional problem, as the fifth wave of political violence and terrorism is a threat against humanity and the hard-won compacts that bind citizens and states together”.
He also shared his views about achievements of the Afghan forces in their counter-terrorism and anti-drugs campaigns and mentioned that Kabul’s efforts would continue to overcome security threats and poppy cultivation in the country.
“I am doubling the size of my Special Security Forces and tripling the size of the Air Force to defeat the terrorists and further secure the population. Today, Afghan Commandos conduct four out of every operation independently from US and Nato support,” Ghani said.
The platform of Heart of Asia Conference was established to address the shared challenges and interests of Afghanistan and its neighbours and regional partners.
This article originally appeared in The Express Tribune on December 1, 2017. Original link.
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