The leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan met Friday in Istanbul for Turkish-sponsored talks aimed at boosting trust and cooperation between the neighbors. (UPDATED)
Turkish President Abdullah Gul is chairing the meeting attended by his counterparts, Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan, and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.
Friday’s trilateral meeting is the second round of talks in a move to bring the two neighbors closer. The first summit was held in April last year which enabled Karzai and then Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to discuss stepping up joint efforts for regional security.
Bilateral relations, further coordination and trilateral economic cooperation between the countries is topping Friday’s agenda.
Relations between the neighbors has long been testy with Afghanistan long accusing Pakistan of failing to take action against or even colluding with Taliban militants.
But Karzai has forged a closer relationship with Pakistan’s new President Zardari. There have been signs of cooperation between Afghan, Pakistani and foreign troops, especially in dealing with cross border infiltration of fighters and equipment.
Analysts say the leaders recognize the danger that insurgency poses for their respective countries.
BUSH, GUL DISCUSS AFGHAN-PAKISTAN TALKS
U.S. President George W. Bush thanked Gul by telephone Friday for his efforts to promote greater cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the White House said on Thursday.
"President Bush thanked President Gul for his commitment to a stable and secure Iraq as well as his ongoing work to promote cooperation between the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan," said spokesman Gordon Johndroe.
The conversation came one day before Gul was to host a second round of talks aimed at easing tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, and shortly after Iraq’s presidential council gave its blessing to a U.S.-Iraq agreement on the future of U.S. forces there.
Bush and Gul also "discussed the strong relationship between the United States and Turkey," said Johndroe.
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