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ISLAMABAD: Peace and stability in Afghanistan is a shared concern among member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Pakistan’s President Mamnoon Hussain said on Sunday.
“We believe this is only possible through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process,” he told the plenary session of the 18th meeting of the SCO’s Council of Heads of State.
“Pakistan will continue to lend its full support for the promotion of peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan,” he added, welcoming Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s “unconditional offer of peace talks with the Taliban.”
Pakistan “has embarked on a bilateral action plan for peace, security and stability with Afghanistan,” Hussain said. “We hope these efforts will bear fruit and contribute to peace in Afghanistan.”
He thanked China’s government for organizing the meeting, adding: “The SCO’s regional anti-terrorism structure is an expression of our concerns on extremism and terrorism. We appreciate the progress of this forum towards its stated purposes.”
Pakistan is ready to share its experience in successful counterterrorism campaigns with SCO member states, he said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is also attending the meeting, shook hands with Hussain on Sunday. They held bilateral meetings with SCO heads of state, but not with each other.