Dance
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2010
- Messages
- 4,850
- Reaction score
- 0
ISLAMABAD: Britain is involved in talks with the Taliban, Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Thursday, while addressing the media along with State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, in Islamabad.
“Contacts do take place, but this is an Afghan-led process and Britain will assist and facilitate,” Hague told a news conference in Islamabad following a three-day visit to Afghanistan.
“Britain is connected to those events but I don’t want to say any more than that. Any such contacts in any case are at a very preliminary stage,” he said.
Hague added that the UK expected Pakistan’s support and assistance in the Afghan led peace and reconciliation process.
Meanwhile Hina Rabbani acknowledged UK’s full support for greater market access to Pakistan in context to the flood package, as well as UK’s support in the institutionalization of the EU support mechanism.
Earlier, US President Barack Obama had revealed on Wednesday that he would pull out 33,000 troops from Afghanistan by next summer said he believed progress could be made in the talks but said they had to be “led by the Afghan government”.
Hague had said in a press conference in Kabul that Britain would remove all its combat troops from Afghanistan by 2015.
Britain has around 9,500 troops in Afghanistan, making it the second largest contributor of troops to the NATO force in Afghanistan after the United States.
London welcomed Obama’s announcement, adding that “sustained pressure” would be applied to Afghan insurgents despite a troop cutback.
Hague pointed out that even after the American withdrawals, there would still be approximately 100,000 international troops based in Afghanistan.
He called on Pakistan to play a constructive role in reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan and welcomed improved ties between the two neighbors, whose relations are traditionally shrouded in mutual distrust.
Karzai visited Pakistan less than two weeks ago. “There is clearly improved atmosphere in relations and cooperation between the two countries. Pakistan has an important and responsible role to play in Afghanistan. Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants have strongholds in Pakistan’s semi-autonomous tribal belt from where they cross into Afghanistan to attack.” said Hague.
Western officials have accused Pakistan’s military establishment of maintaining links to militant groups in order to maximize influence in Afghanistan.
Earlier on a joint three-day visit to Afghanistan with his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, British Foreign Secretary William Hague pledged on Wednesday that his country would be a ‘friend for the long-term’ to Afghanistan as the US was poised to announce troop withdrawals.
“By 2015, we will not have troops here in a combat role or anything like their present numbers but we will be a friend for the long-term with our expertise, our economic cooperation and development aid,” he told a news conference in Kabul.
All foreign combat troops are due to leave the country by the end of 2014.
UK seeks Pakistan’s support in Afghan-led peace process: Hague – The Express Tribune
“Contacts do take place, but this is an Afghan-led process and Britain will assist and facilitate,” Hague told a news conference in Islamabad following a three-day visit to Afghanistan.
“Britain is connected to those events but I don’t want to say any more than that. Any such contacts in any case are at a very preliminary stage,” he said.
Hague added that the UK expected Pakistan’s support and assistance in the Afghan led peace and reconciliation process.
Meanwhile Hina Rabbani acknowledged UK’s full support for greater market access to Pakistan in context to the flood package, as well as UK’s support in the institutionalization of the EU support mechanism.
Earlier, US President Barack Obama had revealed on Wednesday that he would pull out 33,000 troops from Afghanistan by next summer said he believed progress could be made in the talks but said they had to be “led by the Afghan government”.
Hague had said in a press conference in Kabul that Britain would remove all its combat troops from Afghanistan by 2015.
Britain has around 9,500 troops in Afghanistan, making it the second largest contributor of troops to the NATO force in Afghanistan after the United States.
London welcomed Obama’s announcement, adding that “sustained pressure” would be applied to Afghan insurgents despite a troop cutback.
Hague pointed out that even after the American withdrawals, there would still be approximately 100,000 international troops based in Afghanistan.
He called on Pakistan to play a constructive role in reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan and welcomed improved ties between the two neighbors, whose relations are traditionally shrouded in mutual distrust.
Karzai visited Pakistan less than two weeks ago. “There is clearly improved atmosphere in relations and cooperation between the two countries. Pakistan has an important and responsible role to play in Afghanistan. Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants have strongholds in Pakistan’s semi-autonomous tribal belt from where they cross into Afghanistan to attack.” said Hague.
Western officials have accused Pakistan’s military establishment of maintaining links to militant groups in order to maximize influence in Afghanistan.
Earlier on a joint three-day visit to Afghanistan with his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, British Foreign Secretary William Hague pledged on Wednesday that his country would be a ‘friend for the long-term’ to Afghanistan as the US was poised to announce troop withdrawals.
“By 2015, we will not have troops here in a combat role or anything like their present numbers but we will be a friend for the long-term with our expertise, our economic cooperation and development aid,” he told a news conference in Kabul.
All foreign combat troops are due to leave the country by the end of 2014.
UK seeks Pakistan’s support in Afghan-led peace process: Hague – The Express Tribune
