NEW YORK - With the United States set to withdraw its troops in 2014, leaders of Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United Kingdom discussed the situation in that strife-torn country when they met in New York on Wednesday.
Diplomats said they reaffirmed their commitment to continue to work for the goals of regional peace, stability and development and for the elimination of the scourge of terrorism from the region.
During the 2nd round of trilateral summit held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, President Asif Ali Zardari, President Hamid Karzai and British Prime Minister David Cameron also discussed the pressing issues in the fight against terrorism.
President Zardari, while highlighting the importance of durable peace and stability in Afghanistan, underscored the need for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. Pakistan, he said, supports an intra-Afghan dialogue process aimed at bringing the decade-old war to an end.
Zardari said education and economic opportunities for the people of affected areas, and socio-economic development were effective tools to transform the environment.
President Zardari and President Karzai appreciated the constructive role being played by Prime Minister Cameron who reiterated the commitment of the United Kingdom to support Afghanistan and Pakistan in working out solutions for peace and stability in the region and in their quest for socio-economic development of their people.