Monday, March 26, 2012
Kabul (BNA) Senior officials from Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States held the fifth meeting of their trilateral Core Group Sunday afternoon at the Afghan embassy in Dushanbe.
The Afghan delegation was led by Mr. Jawed Ludin, Deputy Foreign Minister, the Pakistani delegation was led by Mr. Jalil Abbas Jilani, Foreign Secretary and the United States delegation was led by Mr. Marc Grossman, special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The three sides welcomed the revival of the Core Group after an interval of six months in the wake of the assassination of Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani, former Afghan president and chairman of the High Peace Council in Kabul.
“I am very pleased to have convened the fifth meeting of the Core Group here in Dushanbe,” said Mr. Ludin. “We had a positive and constructive discussion after a long break.”
“The Core Group represents an important mechanism for our three countries to advance the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process through regular and candid consultations, information sharing and, most importantly, by agreeing concrete steps in support of this critical priority.”
All participants underlined the importance of continuing the work of the Core Group in the future.
Mr. Ludin met Mr. Abbas and his delegation separately ahead of the Core Group meeting to discuss the peace process and various aspects of the bilateral relationship. Mr. Ludin once again congratulated Mr. Abbas on his recent appointment as Pakistan’s new Foreign Secretary. Both sides underscored the need for close contact and cooperation at a critical time for both countries.
