Islamabad: Pakistan and Afghanistan on Thursday
announced a slew of measures to boost bilateral ties,
including plans to develop roadmap for strengthening
transportation links and enhance two-way trade to USD five
billion by 2015.
The measures were included in the "Joint Declaration on
Next Steps in Afghanistan-Pakistan Comprehensive Cooperation"
that was signed by Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood
Qureshi and his Afghan counterpart Zalmai Rassoul.
As part of efforts to develop a roadmap for strengthening
road, rail and air links and upgrading existing facilities,
the two countries attached priority to completing the
Peshawar-Jalalabad expressway and a feasibility study on the
proposed Peshawar-Jalalabad rail link.
The two sides also agreed to start transport corridors on
mutually agreed routes and expand aviation links and extend
bus services to additional destinations.
The declaration said the two countries will take steps to
boost bilateral trade to USD five billion by 2015 and develop
plans of action for customs harmonisation and trade
facilitation.
They also agreed to make use of the "natural comparative
economic advantage of the two countries" to facilitate
bilateral trade and to pool public and private corporate
resources for reconstruction and development.
In this regard, the two sides will establish a "Silk
Route CEOs Forum" and establish a "Pakistan-Afghanistan
Reconstruction Consortium."
They will also explore setting up of a joint investment
company to undertake projects, including initiatives to
develop the region's vast mineral and hydropower wealth.
In the field of energy, the declaration envisages the
evolution of joint strategies for "early implementation of
trans-Afghan energy projects, with focus on CASA-1000 and the
Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan gas pipeline."
Pakistan offered to extend assistance to Afghanistan in
"setting up new capacity building institutions and upgrading
the existing ones."
It also increased the number of scholarships for Afghan
students in Pakistani institutions from 1,000 to 2,000.
Islamabad said it would make special arrangements for
female Afghan students and set up an Institute on Management,
Business Administration and Faculty Training in Afghanistan.
To enhance cooperation in agriculture and food
processing, both sides agreed to consider the creation of a
"Pakistan-Afghanistan Food Bank" to strengthen food security
and to initiate joint research in agriculture and crop
substitution programmes.
They also agreed to start a dialogue on environmental
protection and mitigating the impact of climate change.
The declaration said "strong Pakistan-Afghanistan ties
are important for regional peace, security and development."
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Afghan President
Hamid Karzai witnessed the signing ceremony.
Earlier, Gilani and Karzai held a one-on-one meeting
focussing on jointly fighting terrorism, strengthening
bilateral ties and ways to address regional issues related to
peace and security.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, March 11, 2010, 17:42