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PR. No. 150/2009

Date: 10/04/2009   

FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVES AFGHAN AND IRANIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTERS

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi received today Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Kabir Farahi and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Mehdi Akhoundzadeh along with  members of their respective delegations who attended the Senior Officials Meeting of Afghanistan-Iran-Pakistan Trilateral Summit process in Islamabad today. The Foreign Minister welcomed them and expressed the hope that the Trilateral Summit process initiated on the sidelines of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Summit in Tehran in March 2009 would be vigorously pursued, focusing on our common vision for peace, security, stability and prosperity of our region. 

Foreign Minister Qureshi emphasized that the challenges of terrorism, extremism, drugs, human trafficking and trans-border organized crimes that our region is facing could only be dealt with through a comprehensive regional approach anchored in mutual respect and mutual interest.   The Foreign Minister added that our three countries have suffered immeasurably because of conflict and instability.  In order to overcome our common problems, we need to join hands and embark upon sustained cooperative engagements on bilateral, regional and trans-regional planes. 

The Deputy Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan and Iran reiterated their commitment to making the Trilateral Summit process result-oriented, agreeing on the need to focus on the issues of security and development simultaneously.

Islamabad
10 April 2009