Karzai off to London for trilateral meeting

KABUL): President Hamid Karzai, at the head of a high-level delegation, on Saturday left for the UK on a three-day official visit for talks with British leaders and his Pakistani counterpart during a trilateral meeting slated for Sunday, the Presidential Palace said.

During the trip, Karzai would meet Prime Minister David William Donald Cameron, Prince Charles, UK Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening, besides attending the third Afghanistan-UK trilateral summit, a statement from the Karzai Office said.

Issues concerning the Afghan government-initiated peace process, international cooperation on countering insurgency and extremism, and the situation in the region would be discussed at the trilateral summit, it added.

Karzai is accompanied by Foreign Minister Zalmay Rassul, National Security Advisor Dr. Dadfar Rangin Dadfar Spanta, Chief of Army Staff Gen. Sher Mohammad Karimi, head of security transition commission, Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, High Peace Council Chairman Salahuddin Rabbani, advisor to president on international affairs, Yahya Maroofi and presidential spokesman, Aimal Faizi.

In their previous meetings, the three countries insisted on enhanced cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan in dealing with the common threat of insurgency. British officials insisted on a strategic cooperation agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

After the London meeting, Karzai is expected travel to Norway, where he would sign a strategic agreement with the country’s leadership before moving to Cairo, Egypt to participate in a conference of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC).

myn/ma

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