KABUL - Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev on Friday called Afghanistan a continuing source of terrorist and extremist activities in the region, urging collective efforts to ward off the threat.

Addressing the third ministerial meeting of the 'Istanbul Process' on Afghanistan in Almaty, Nazarbayev said: “The threat of international terrorism and religious extremism is still an important regional challenge.”

The Novosti-Kazakhstan news agency quoted the president as saying: “Unfortunately, Afghanistan remains a source of terrorist and extremist activities, including those in neighboring countries.

Describing drug trafficking as one of Afghanistan's serious problems, Nazarbayev said the production and trafficking of narcotics posed a major challenge to regional development.

While stressing enhanced regional cooperation with Afghanistan, he called for the expansion of railways networks in and around the conflict-devastated country.

Afghan foreign minister Zalmai Rassoul especially thanked President Nursultan Nazarbayev for his personal support to the people of Afghanistan, including the provision of humanitarian aid and 1000 scholarships for Afghan students.

Rassoul invited Kazakh businessmen and companies to take advantage of the exciting investment opportunities offered by Afghanistan, including in the highly profitable fields of mining, agriculture, trade and transit.  (Pajhwok)