Pakistan, US stress close coordination for meaningful progress in Afghan peace process

ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - Pakistan and United States have stressed the need for continuing close coordination and cooperation to ensure meaningful progress in the Afghan peace process.

This was stressed during telephonic conversation between Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi stressed that there was a fundamental convergence between Pakistan and the United States on the need for a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan.

He underscored that securing peace in Afghanistan is the shared responsibility of all stakeholders inside Afghanistan as well as key regional and international players.

The Foreign Minister said it is imperative for all relevant stakeholders to press all Afghan parties to engage constructively towards achieving an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement.

In a statement in Washington, US State Department Spokesman Ned Price, said the two leaders underscored the shared desire for a stable and sustainable bilateral relationship.

At the State Department regular press briefing, Spokesman Ned Price called Pakistan an important partner in various fronts and said both the countries have shared interests in peace and stability in Afghanistan.

The spokesman said Pakistan has been helpful in recently when it comes to this shared interest. Our shared interests go well beyond that broader counterterrorism interests as well, not to mention the people-to-people ties that unite our two countries.