Afghanistan, Peru to establish diplomatic ties

KABUL): Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul and his Peruvian counterpart, Rafael Roncagliolo, agreed to establish direct diplomatic relations at the non-resident ambassador level for the first time, the foreign ministry said on Monday.

The agreement on Sunday came at a bilateral meeting between Rassoul and Roncagliolo in Lima during the first visit by an Afghan foreign minister to Peru.

“Afghanistan and Peru share a lot in common, from the common challenge of fighting drugs to the opportunities of sharing experiences and knowledge in areas of economic and political cooperation,”  Rassoul was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul.

Rassoul said Afghanistan could learn from Peru’s long experience in extracting its natural resources to the benefit of the Peruvian people.

Addressing Roncagliolo, the Afghan foreign minister said inviting him to visit Peru for the first time helped them lay down the foundation of bilateral relationship.

The two foreign ministers agreed to formally sign and exchange the necessary documents on the establishment of direct diplomatic relations between Afghanistan and Peru in the next few months.

The two countries discussed the possibility of establishing a diplomatic relationship in 1973 for the first time, a step that was derailed by subsequent events in both countries.

pr/ma

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