DUSHANBE: At a regional summit Friday, the presidents of Russia,
Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan urged the NATO-led coalition in
Afghanistan to step up the training of local security forces as it
completes its planned staged withdrawal.
Tajik President
Emomali Rahmon hosted Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev, Pakistan’s Asif Ali
Zardari, and Afghanistan’s Hamid Karzai for talks in the capital,
Dushanbe.
In a joint statement after the talks, the leaders
said that the "reduction of foreign military presence in Afghanistan
should be accompanied by adequate increase of efforts by the
participants of the international coalition for training and arming
Afghan national security structures."
The four also agreed to work more closely to combat extremism and drug trafficking along with organized crime.
They stressed the need to enhance regional trade and cooperation on energy projects and transport corridors.
They
said such steps should be taken in the interests of trading and
economic relations of the four states. Among the main areas of
cooperation are "aviation, road and rail links, regional energy needs,
modernization of obsolete industries and creation of new ones and a
favorable investment climate."
The document also states that
the heads of state, "affirming and encouraging the attraction of
investments into such sectors as energy, transport, communications,
construction, mining, chemistry, food and other industries, as well as
into the agricultural sector, recommend the establishment of direct
contacts between businesses of their countries. "
The
presidents said that "the further development and expansion of transit
and transportation corridors promotes regional trade, increases foreign
investment and faciliates joint cooperation projects." In this regard,
the summit’s participants believe it is important to speed up the
implementation of projects for connecting the railways and roads in the
region.
The statement said Pakistan offered to host the next meeting of the four nations but did not specify a date. Online
