LONDON - The United Kingdom on Thursday said it would continue to support the Afghan-led peace process and lauded both Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan for their peace and reconciliation efforts.

Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul and his Pakistani counterpart, Hina Rabbani Khar, are in London to attend the third tripartite meeting, along with British Foreign Secretary William Hague.

"Supporting the security and prosperity of Afghanistan and Pakistan is one of the most important priorities in UK foreign policy," said Hague.

"I congratulate both foreign ministers for the real progress that their countries have made in recent weeks in helping advance the Afghan-led peace and reconciliation process, notably through the visit of the High Peace Council to Pakistan, led by Chairman (Salahuddin) Rabbani, on 12-15 November," he said in statement released by the British Foreign Office.

In London, the trilateral meeting would touch on the Afghan-led peace and reconciliation process, how to strengthen their joint efforts to address extremism and advance regional peace and stability.

Hague added: "I welcome their agreement today to continuing to develop a Strategic Partnership between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Both countries will have the unwavering support of the British government in these efforts."

Masoom Stanekzai, head of the Joint Secretariat to the High Peace Council, would also attend the meeting. This meeting was the third in a series of trilateral discussions that have taken place this year. (Pajhwok)