Afghanistan seeks help from Arab allies

KABUL would need assistance from its Arab allies, the foreign ministry in Kabul said on Sunday.

Deputy Foreign Minister Jawed Ludin said this at a two-day trilateral meeting among Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi.

A statement from the ministry said a US delegation has joined Afghanistan and Pakistan for the ninth meeting of the peace process core group. Qatar last week gave initial consent for the office.

Javed Ludin said the meeting focused on security and political issues, as well as trilateral relations among Afghanistan, Pakistan and the US.

“The reason we met is because the peace process is gaining momentum; there are greater steps for cooperation such as the release of Taliban detainees by Pakistan and the successful visit to Washington of President Hamid Karzai,” he said.

On the occasion, Pakistan promised the release all Afghan Taliban prisoners still in its custody, including Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar — the group’s former second-in-command.

Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani told reporters: “The remaining (Afghan) detainees, we are coordinating, and they will be released subsequently.”

According to the statement, Ludin urged the UAE to help the Afghan-led peace effort. Kabul would need Abu Dhabi’s assistance after the pullout of foreign forces, he continued.

He acknowledged: “Over the past decade, the UAE support for efforts at bringing peace to Afghanistan has been very important. Now we are moving toward a foreign troop withdrawal at the end of 2014.”

Ludin underlined the need for warding off the threat posed by the twin menace of terrorism and extremism and closer links between Afghanistan and its Arab allies.

pr/mud

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