ISLAMABAD - Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai has appreciated the invitation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and conveyed that he would visit Pakistan in the very near future.
According to Foreign Office, Adviser to PM on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz delivered Premier Sharif’s formal invitation to Ghani to visit Pakistan which was accepted by the new Afghan president.
President Ghani underlined there was a historic opportunity to transform Pak-Afghan relations into a warm and mutually-beneficial partnership. He said he would like to share with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif his vision of the bilateral relationship over a 5-year perspective.
The Afghan president identified the preparatory work that needed to be undertaken by both sides on different dimensions of the relationship – including political, security and defence cooperation, economic and trade relations, business-to-business contacts, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
The Adviser conveyed felicitations on the peaceful transfer of power and formation of the government of national unity. He underscored PM Sharif's desire to build a comprehensive and enduring partnership between Pakistan and Afghanistan marked by trust, understanding and close cooperation and his belief that the two countries had a historic opportunity to move in that direction.
Sartaj Aziz also underlined the importance of bilateral mechanisms for interaction at different levels in the political, security and economic realms assuring that Pakistan would fully support and facilitate Afghanistan's efforts for peace and stability.
During his visit, the adviser called on Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and conveyed prime minister's cordial greetings and his invitation to visit Pakistan at a mutually convenient date. Appreciating the invitation, the Afghan Chief Executive also underlined that both sides must work closely to realise the opportunities to build a close, cooperative relationship. Matters relating to peace and security, trade and economic cooperation and regional cooperation were discussed.
Sartaj Aziz also held separate meetings with Foreign Minister Zarar Ahmad Osmani and Afghan National Security Adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar. During these meetings, apart from bilateral and regional matters, the discussions focused on the preparatory work for the president's visit to Pakistan.