President Hamid Karzai, on the invitation of Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, visited Islamabad on Monday August 26, 2013. The Afghan President was accompanied by a high-level delegation including Cabinet Ministers and Senior Officials. The visit was considered very important because of several reasons.
It was the first highest-level exchange between Afghanistan and Pakistan since the democratic transition and swearing-in of the new government. After taking office, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has spoken to President Hamid Karzai on three separate occasions. The two leaders have also been meeting during President Karzai's recent visits to Pakistan.
It is important to note that President Karzai's visit comes at a time when Afghanistan is undergoing important political and security transitions and the draw-down of NATO/ISAF forces is due to be completed by December 2014.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, on various occasions, has emphasized on a forward-looking vision of a peaceful and prosperous neighborhood defined by close, cooperative relations with all neighbors. His invitation to President Karzai and commitment to work closely with the Afghan leadership is part of the same.
Earlier, the Adviser to the Pakistani Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, had visited Kabul on July 21, 2013. The Adviser carried a message of goodwill and cordiality from the people of Pakistan and the desire of the new government to comprehensively upgrade the Pakistan-Afghanistan relationship. Substantive talks were held on the Afghan peace process and bilateral relations.
President Karzai's visit carried forward this process of constructive engagement between the two countries. The two leaders could have in-depth consultations on all issues of common interest, including the evolving situation in the region as well as ways to deepen and broaden Afghanistan-Pakistan bilateral relations.
For a peaceful relations between the two countries it is vital that both the countries must realize that they share a fraternal relationship based on faith, kinship culture and history. The two countries have faced common challenges in the past and stood by each other in times of need. Over the past 3 decades, Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees who had to leave Afghanistan due to conflict and instability.
Peace and stability in Afghanistan are in Pakistan's vital interest. Pakistan has extended consistent support for the promotion of peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan. Pakistan remains committed to working with Afghanistan as well as regional and international partners for sustainable peace and development.
Bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan has witnessed an impressive growth in recent years and reached US$2.44 billion in 2012. Afghanistan is the third largest destination for Pakistani products. The major items of imports from Pakistan include rice, petroleum products, animal and vegetable fats and oils, dairy products, construction material, plastic articles, fruits and vegetables, wooden products, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and electrical machines. Recognizing the vast untapped potential, the two countries have agreed to expand bilateral trade to US $5 billion by 2015.
The two countries signed the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) in 2010, which serves as a key instrument for the facilitation of Afghanistan's access to foreign markets through Pakistani sea-ports and land routes. Both sides are engaged in efforts for optimal utilization of APTTA and its extension to Central Asia.
Educational and people-to-people contacts have been growing significantly. Over 7,000 Afghan students are currently studying in Pakistan. Of these, 2,000 are on fully-funded scholarships offered by Pakistan; most others are enrolled under full or partial scholarship. More than 30,000 Afghan graduates from Pakistani institutions are now contributing to Afghanistan's national development.
In the context of regional economic cooperation, the two countries are participating in key energy projects, namely Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) and Central Asia-South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA-1000).
President Karzai's visit will impart a strong impetus to ongoing efforts for an enhanced relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan and enable the leadership on both sides to further strengthen their joint endeavors in the pursuit of durable peace, stability and prosperity.