Pakistan, Afghanistan discuss ‘shared vision’ to support peace and stability in region

Pakistan and Afghanistan on Thursday discussed a “shared vision" to support peace and stability in both countries and the wider region during Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to Kabul.

The "shared vision" is aimed at advancing a forward-looking cooperative partnership between the two countries for political, economic, and people-to-people exchanges.

According to the document shared by Foreign Office, high-ranking representatives of both sides met on September 30, 2020 and agreed upon the fundamental principle that both countries should determine a new shared vision "to help each other in furtherance of peace and stability in both their countries as well as the wider region".

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The document also highlighted the mechanism for implementation of the vision and in that regard, the next course of action to deliver the agendas set by both sides.

"The representatives of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan agree that timely progress to meet this vision would require close coordination, a structured dialogue, and willingness to take difficult and courageous decisions," read the document.

Both countries also agreed on the need for urgency in their approach, with progress needed by the beginning of December 2020.

Confirming commitments made on previous occasions, they agreed to take rapid action on three main strands of activity, including identifying lead officials to take forward each activity, quoted verbatim below:

a. By 15 December 2020: Re-energizing joint intelligence services-led work on analysing, mapping and cooperating against enemies of peace and those undermining the peace process.

b. By 1st January 2021: A joint proposal for refugees return, elevating and intensifying treatment of this issue, to the point where credible and progressive action can start to be taken.

c. By 1st January 2021: A joint proposal to further regional connectivity, in a way which strengthens both Afghanistan and Pakistan, but also the wider region.