<p>PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): <a href="/en/afghanistan" class="glossify-link">Afghanistan</a>, agreeing on the need for boosting bilateral cooperation, have vowed to work together for peace and prosperity in the region.</p>
<p><a href="/en/wolesi-jirga" class="glossify-link">Wolesi Jirga</a> Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi and his Pakistani counterpart Sardar Ayaz Sadiq underlined strong religious, cultural and linguistic commonalities between the neighbours.</p>
<p>At a meeting on the sidelines of the six-nation speakers’ conference in Islamabad on Saturday, Sadiq said Pakistan wanted to strengthen its relations with Afghanistan.</p>
<p>Convener of Pak-Afghan Friendship Group Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and Chairman of National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar were also present.</p>
<p>A peaceful, prosperous and stable Afghanistan was in the best interest of Pakistan and the region at large, Sadiq. “Pakistan believes in mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbors.”</p>
<p>Pakistan was the largest stakeholder in a peaceful Afghanistan, Sadiq said, adding both nations being victims of terrorism had suffered a lot because of extremism.</p>
<p>He suggested a joint strategy and closer cooperation to address the root-causes of terrorism. The visit of the Afghan parliamentary delegation would help cement bilateral relations, he hoped.</p>
<p>While commending Sadiq’s initiative of organising the conference, Ibrahimi believed the event would help identify vistas of common prosperity through increased regional connectivity.</p>
<p>He said cooperative relations with Islamabad were of immense importance in Afghan foreign policy.</p>
<p>Speakers from Afghanistan, China, Iran, Pakistan, Russia and Turkey are participating along with their respective parliamentary delegations in the conference.</p>
<p>The participants will confer on interaction among peace activists, representatives of business and trade community, professionals, academia and experts.</p>
<p>mud</p>
