Pakistan, Afghanistan leaders talk security at Ankara summit

Apr 1, 2009, 8:06 GMT

Ankara - The presidents of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey met for talks in the Turkish capital Ankara Wednesday, with the topic of security set to top the agenda.

Presidents Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan are expected to commit to sharing of intelligence and further cooperation in dealing with Taliban extremists that freely cross the porous border between the two neighbours.

'There will be an exchange of ideas in regards to the security situation in the region ... (and) on future common projects which will aim to contribute to stability, security and the welfare of the region,' according to a statement released by Turkish President Abdullah Gul's office on Tuesday.

Wednesday's one-day summit was the third that Turkey has hosted in the last three years in what has become known as the Ankara Process. While no concrete decisions on setting up common security projects were expected to come out of Wednesday's meetings, the summit and the Ankara Process in general are important in their own right for creating stability and cooperation in the region.

'The trilateral process is a concrete contributor to this,' a diplomatic source told the German Press Agency dpa, pointing out that the process has resulted in a deepening of understanding between the two sometimes fractious neighbours who both have historically good ties with Turkey.

The first trilateral summit held in April 2007 was marked by accusations from Afghanistan that Pakistan was not doing enough, and was in effect encouraging Taliban extremists, thus creating instability inside Afghanistan itself. A second summit in December last year with the then newly-elected Zardari was much more successful, with both sides committing themselves to security cooperation.

That the trilateral summit Wednesday was the first to see the participation of the military and intelligence chiefs of Afghanistan and Pakistan was a sign of deeper commitment on both sides to work together, the diplomatic source said.

As part of the NATO-led force in Afghanistan, Turkey has around 800 troops in the Afghan capital Kabul. Turkey has taken a highly active role in development projects in Afghanistan, including the setting up of schools and medical facilities, as well as training Afghan troops and police officers.