Iranian, Afghan presidents arrive in Pakistan for summit

Feb 16, 2012, 11:51 GMT

Islamabad - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Afghan President Hamid Karzai arrived Thursday in Islamabad for a summit with Pakistan's leader that was expected to focus on regional security and peace talks in Afghanistan.

Karzai is seeking greater support at Friday's summit from his neighbours, especially Pakistan, on efforts to start peace talks with the Taliban to end 10 years of war in Afghanistan.

Pakistan is believed to have influence over the Islamist militants, mainly because it supported their emergence in the mid-1990s.

Its Inter-Services Intelligence is believed to have covertly helped them to organize and launch counteroffensive after their ouster as Afghanistan's rulers in a 2001 US-led invasion.

Iran has sway over the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance in Afghanistan and is seen as a potential help with the reconciliation process there.

Karzai, who was making his third visit to Pakistan since his 2009 re-election, held talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on the conflict with the Taliban and their countries' economic ties.

Ahmadinejad would also hold meetings with Pakistani leaders focusing on a multibillion-dollar Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project, which faces strong opposition from the United States, which has placed sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme.

Pakistan is persisting with the project as Tehran is eager to provide gas to its energy-deficient neighbour to break its international isolation.

The presidential palace in Kabul said the three leaders would discuss enhancing their anti-terrorism and economic cooperation and said Karzai would meet separately with Ahmadinejad.

'The trilateral summit will discuss cooperation on counterterrorism and transnational organized crime, including drug and human trafficking, and border management,' an official with Pakistan's Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

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