Pakistan, Afghan bilateral forum to meet soon

The next session of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS), a bilateral forum set up in May 2018, will be held soon.

Islamabad, April 21 The next session of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS), a bilateral forum set up in May 2018, will be held soon.

The agreement to arrange the next meeting of APAPPS was reached during a telephonic conversation between Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his Afghan counterpart, Hanif Atmar, on Monday, reports The Express Tribune.

A statement issue by the Foreign Office said Qureshi congratulated Atmar on his recent appointment and expressed hope that during his tenure, there would be enhanced interaction between the foreign ministries of the two countries.

Prospect of enhancing bilateral relations in all areas were discussed.

Qureshi reiterated the importance of existing bilateral mechanisms and hoped that the next session of APAPPS would be held soon which would help further strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields.

The APAPPS was established in May 2018 as part of efforts by two sides to sort out issues though negotiations.

The APAPPS framework provides a comprehensive and structured mechanism to enhance engagement between counterpart institutions of the two countries.

APAPPS comprises five working groups on politico-diplomatic, military, intelligence, economic and trade and refugees issues.

The last meeting of the forum was held in Islamabad in June 2019. The next meeting was supposed to take place in Kabul in December.

The delay has apparently been attributed to uneasy relationship between the two countries.

( With inputs from IANS )