Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani and President Ashraf Ghani during a visit to Kabul on Monday.

Kabul was Qureshi's first stop on his three-day tour to four countries, which also includes China, Iran and Russia.

Matters of mutual interest were discussed during a meeting between the Qureshi-led Pakistani delegation comprising Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and other high-ranking Foreign Office officials, and the Afghan delegation which was led by Rabbani.

In a separate meeting between Qureshi and Rabbani, the latter lauded Pakistan's efforts for peace in the region. He also briefed Qureshi about positive developments in the Afghan peace process.

The foreign ministers agreed on promoting political, economic and cultural ties between the two countries. Qureshi emphasised the importance of improved relations for long-lasting peace and stability in the region.

The foreign minister also met the Afghan president separately in the Presidential Palace, where the two stressed the need to improve bilateral relations. President Ghani expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Qureshi for playing an important role in the Afghan peace process.

Qureshi said that peace and stability in Afghanistan were not only important for the development of both countries but for the entire region.

They also discussed the regional situation and matters of mutual interest. Later, the Afghan president also chaired a meeting between the delegations of both countries.

Later in the day, the foreign minister visited Tehran, where he held a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif. The two discussed in details the bilateral relations as well as the situation in the region.

The foreign minister told Zarif that Islamabad wants to further improve its political and economic ties with Tehran.

The Iranian foreign minister reportedly reciprocated Qureshi's views saying that Iran was also committed to improving its relations and bilateral cooperation with Pakistan.