Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to resolve border issues amicably  

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and Afghan delegations met on Monday in the first senior level talks aimed at reducing tensions at the Torkham border crossing along the Pak-Afghan border.

Pakistan side was led by Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhary while the Afghan side by its Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai.

The two sides discussed ways and means to check illegal cross-border movement as well as the recent tension at Torkham border.

At the outset of talks Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry condemned the suicide attack in Kabul this morning.

The visit is taking place at the invitation of Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.

The Afghan delegation also held a meeting with Advisor on Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz.

Bilateral relations and matters relating to border management came under discussion during the meeting.

The talks were held in a cordial atmosphere marked by a mutual desire to amicably resolve border related issues. Both sides decided to work in the spirit of good neighbourly relations and cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides agreed to share their ideas with the leadership as these will be discussed during a meeting between the Sartaj Aziz and Afghan Foreign Minister on the sidelines of the forthcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tashkent from June 23-24, 2016.

The need for creating a suitable mechanism for consultation on border management issues were also emphasised during the meeting.

The participants agreed on effective border management being vital for promoting peace, countering terrorism and strengthening relations between the two countries.