Daily Pakistan News

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday emphasized the need for joint monitoring of Pakistan-Afghan border and increased sharing of information on the cross border movement of militants and terrorists between Pakistan and Nato-Isaf forces.

The prime minister also underscored the importance of closer consultation and better understanding on all issues of common interests between Pakistan and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato).

He was talking to Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Nato Secretary General, who called on him at the Prime Minister’’s Secretariat here.

The prime minister welcomed the proposal for signing a framework agreement between Pakistan and Nato through Joint Political Declaration and hoped that both sides would exchange drafts of a proposed declaration in the near future to finalize it for signing as soon as possible.

PM Gilani also appreciated Nato’’s training facilities for Pakistan’’s military and civilian personnel and hoped that this cooperation would be further expanded to strengthen his country’’s counter-terrorism and counter insurgency capabilities.

The premier thanked the Nato’’s Secretary General for his intersession with the European Union leadership on Pakistan’’s behalf for granting the GSP Plus facility and greater access to Pakistani products in the European markets.

Pakistan’’s economic development and progress, he said, was a pre-requisite for successfully confronting the threat of terrorism and its allies must help it in this regard through greater market access.

The prime minister drew the attention of the Secretary General to the need of refurbishment of the road infrastructure for facilitating smooth supplies to Isaf forces through Pakistan and sought Nato’’s assistance in improving the related road network in the country.

The Nato Secretary General commended the prime minister, his government and Pakistan armed forces for resolutely pursuing the campaign against terrorism.

He expressed his satisfaction over the on-going cooperation between Pakistan and Nato and vowed to expedite finalization of Joint Political Declaration between the two sides.

The secretary general said that the Nato would like to have a long term and robust cooperation going beyond resolution of the Afghan crisis.

He stated that the Nato, besides capacity building of Pakistan’’s military and civil officers in anti-terrorism fields, was willing to provide training to concerned Pakistani agencies personnel in anti narcotic drive.

He termed the Kabul conference held on Tuesday as very successful and stated that the participating countries had agreed with Afghan President Hamid Karzai’’s idea that the Afghan forces should be enabled to take over the law enforcement duties from the Nato and Isaf forces by the end of 2014.

The Nato would accord every possible assistance to the Afghan government to achieve that goal, he added.

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