As bilateral meetings between Pakistan and Afghanistan under the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) resumed on Monday, both sides vowed to make the best of this engagement framework for addressing the challenges that keep plaguing their ties.

“The two sides reiterated their commitment to optimally utilise APAPPS to deliberate on all key issues, effectively address common challenges, and pursue new opportunities,” a statement issued by the Foreign Office said after the APAPPS second review meeting in Kabul earlier in the day.

Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood led the Pakistani delegation comprising senior officers at the talks. The Afghan side was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Mirwais Nab.

Both sides, moreover, agreed to increase the frequency of the meetings under APAPPS — the ties framework established in 2018 for providing a comprehensive and structured mechanism for institutional engagement between the two countries. The framework comprises five working groups dealing with politico-diplomatic exchanges, military-to-military ties, intelligence sharing, economic cooperation and refugee issues.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1577322/islamabad-kabul-vow-to-address-challenges-plaguing-ties