Pakistan, Afghanistan Agree to Work for Cooperation

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, February 09, 2002

Pakistan, Afghanistan Agree to Work for Cooperation

Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed unanimously on working together to develop strong brotherly cooperation, brotherly relations between them in all spheres of activity.

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Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed unanimously on working together to develop strong brotherly cooperation, brotherly relations between them in all spheres of activity.

This consensus was reached here on Friday during the talks between Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Afghan Interim Administration Chairman Hamid Karzai who arrived here Friday afternoon for a two-day official visit to Pakistan.

In their joint press conference, President Musharraf said he and Karzai held "indepth and fruitful discussions on all subjects concerning bilateral relationship, the situation in the region andall other important issues concerning Afghanistan and Pakistan."

Musharraf said that Pakistan was extremely interested in having a peaceful, united, progressive and prosperous Afghanistan as its neighbor.

He wished Karzai "extremely well to convert Afghanistan into a modern, progressive Afghanistan, after two decades of war ravages and devastation."

"Pakistan will remain with Afghanistan in all its endeavors to improve the lot of the Afghan people. We will contribute to the maximum towards the reconstruction of Afghanistan," he assured.

Musharraf said that despite resource constraints, Pakistan had decided to contribute 100 million U.S.dollars for the reconstruction in Afghanistan, and that Pakistan had also taken a decision to issue a cheque for 10 million dollars for the cash flows needs of Afghanistan, as it was aware of the financial difficulties Afghanistan is passing through.

Relations based on sovereign equality and non-interference are "in our mutual interest" and both the countries here today agreed "not to allow each other's territory to be used against each other."

"The relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan is destined to grow from strength to strength, with the each passing day," Musharraf declared.

Hamid Karzai said that he looked forward to having a "tremendously good future ahead of us."

He thanked President Musharraf for his categorical assurance that "Pakistan will remain with Afghanistan in all its endeavors to improve the lot of Afghanistan and that Pakistan will contribute its maximum towards the developmental effort towards rehabilitation and reconstruction in Afghanistan."

Karzai stated that President Musaharraf was the first leader of all the countries to call him when the interim administration was set up, which showed the importance Pakistan attached to its relations with Afghanistan and the immense goodwill that Pakistan had for Hamid Karzai.

"The future ahead can be made certain by respecting each other's territorial integrity and freedom, and I thank you for wishing the Afghan people the unity, the independence, the progress that Afghans so badly need, and also for your realization that our devastated country needs to be reconstructed with the help of restof the world, and neighbors, especially Pakistan," he said.

He also thanked Pakistan for hosting so many Afghan refugees, and hoped one day Afghanistan would be able to return the goodwillof the people of Pakistan towards Afghan refugees.

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