GUNNER
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Pakistan, Afghanistan & Turkey To Hold Joint Drills
ISTANBUL, Dec 24, 2010 (AFP) - Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey will hold joint military exercises next year as part of Ankara's efforts to bring its two troubled neighbours closer.
"As a result of the work that our armed forces have done so far, a joint exercise will be held in April 2011," Turkish President Abdullah Gul said in televised remarks.
Gul was speaking after trilateral talks with his counterparts Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan in Istanbul.
It was the fifth such meeting since 2007 when Turkey, NATO's sole Muslim-majority member, launched the initiative to push Afghanistan and Pakistan to enhance cooperation against Islamist insurgents and improve ties poisoned by the insecurity plaguing their rugged border.
Gul said the three countries' interior and foreign ministers as well as intelligence and military officials also held separate cooperation talks as part of the gathering in Istanbul.
"We are happy to see that important progress has been made," he said.
On Thursday, Karzai and Zerdari attended a summit in Istanbul of the Economic Cooperation Organisation, a 10-member regional grouping aimed at boosting trade links, which includes also Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey and Central Asian states.
ISTANBUL, Dec 24, 2010 (AFP) - Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey will hold joint military exercises next year as part of Ankara's efforts to bring its two troubled neighbours closer.
"As a result of the work that our armed forces have done so far, a joint exercise will be held in April 2011," Turkish President Abdullah Gul said in televised remarks.
Gul was speaking after trilateral talks with his counterparts Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan in Istanbul.
It was the fifth such meeting since 2007 when Turkey, NATO's sole Muslim-majority member, launched the initiative to push Afghanistan and Pakistan to enhance cooperation against Islamist insurgents and improve ties poisoned by the insecurity plaguing their rugged border.
Gul said the three countries' interior and foreign ministers as well as intelligence and military officials also held separate cooperation talks as part of the gathering in Istanbul.
"We are happy to see that important progress has been made," he said.
On Thursday, Karzai and Zerdari attended a summit in Istanbul of the Economic Cooperation Organisation, a 10-member regional grouping aimed at boosting trade links, which includes also Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey and Central Asian states.
game in afg
