PARIS, Oct 7: France has invited Pakistan and Iran to take part in a meeting of Afghanistan’s neighbours to help advance peace in the insurgency-hit country, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Tuesday.

“There will be a meeting, I hope in Paris, of neighbouring countries,” Kouchner told members of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee.

Paris has asked Pakistan, Iran and other neighbouring countries to attend because they could play a role in helping Afghanistan reach peace with the Taliban militia, he said.

Kouchner did not give a date for the meeting.

The foreign minister reiterated that France supports Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s bid to hold talks with moderates within the Taliban movement, which was ousted from Kabul in 2001 during a US-led invasion.

The Afghan government said on Monday it was hoping for peace talks with the Taliban but denied a media report that a first round of negotiations took place in Saudi Arabia last month.

—AFP

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

THE Punjab government would be keen to forget its first year of treating smog as ‘a year-round epidemic’ instead...
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.