Pakistan and Russia have agreed to continue coordinating their positions on efforts for peace in Afghanistan, reported the Dawn.
The understanding was reached during Russian Special Representative on Afghanistan Ambassador Zamir Kabulov’s meetings with Foreign Minister of Pakistan Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua.
Kabulov was in Islamabad for consultations on regional political situation and the Afghan peace process.
Qureshi in his meeting with Mr Kabulov underscored that Pakistan was facilitating the ongoing talks between the US and the Taliban as a shared responsibility and in good faith and hoped that the talks would lead to an intra-Afghan dialogue.
Kabulov noted that Russia and Pakistan were important stakeholders in peace and stability in Afghanistan and it was in their shared interest to support all efforts for peace and stability there through their close coordination.
“The two sides agreed to continue regular consultations on Afghan peace process and support regional initiatives to bring lasting peace in Afghanistan and the region,” a Foreign Office statement said.
On Tuesday, The United States and the Afghan Taliban drafted the framework of a deal which could pave the way for peace talks with Kabul, Washington’s main negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad told the New York Times.
However, major hurdles including a ceasefire and a withdrawal of foreign forces remain.
Recently, Taliban has appointed a co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar as the leader of their political office in Qatar to lead talks with the United States.
The United States and Taliban last week held six-day-long negotiations after which both sides claimed significant progress although some issues still remain to be resolved.
