Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to enhance cooperation to facilitate the legal movement of people across their shared border.

This commitment was made during the inaugural meeting of a new additional secretary-level mechanism between the two countries’ foreign ministries, held in Islamabad on Monday.

The talks, a follow-up to Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar’s April 19th visit to Afghanistan, focused on several key areas of bilateral cooperation.

These included trade and transit, security, and connectivity. Both sides acknowledged the significant threat terrorism poses to regional stability.

Pakistan stressed the need for concrete action against terrorist groups operating within Afghanistan, highlighting their detrimental impact on Pakistan’s security and regional development.Discussions also covered improvements to trade and transit cooperation, reviewing progress on measures introduced following Senator Dar’s Kabul visit.

These measures aim to streamline Afghan transit trade by eliminating a 10% processing fee, providing insurance guarantees, reducing inspections, and implementing a track and trace system.

The importance of enhanced regional connectivity was underscored, with both sides pledging concerted efforts to finalize the framework agreement for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway.

The repatriation of Afghan nationals was another topic of discussion. Pakistan highlighted its efforts to facilitate documented travel from Afghanistan, including the issuance of over 500,000 visas since January 2024.

Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to sustained engagement to address shared challenges, recognizing lasting security as crucial for regional development and stronger bilateral ties. A subsequent round of additional secretary-level talks is planned for a mutually convenient date.