ISLAMABAD, Dec 15: The Tripartite Commission, comprising senior military and diplomatic representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan, held its 14th meeting in Kabul on Thursday. Delegates included General Ahsan Saleem Hayat, Vice Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan; General Bismullah Khan, Chief of Staff of the Afghan National Army, and Lieutenant General Karl W. Eikenberry, Commander, Combined Forces Command, Afghanistan.

The meeting marked the first official visit of General Hayat to Kabul.

The session began with short summaries of the recent Border Security Subcommittee meeting hosted by Pakistan at the Khyber Rifles Mess and the Counter-IED and Military Intelligence-Sharing Working Group meetings hosted by Afghanistan in Kabul.

The parties agreed that they should continue further enhancements in cooperation, communication and intelligence-sharing against extremists who threaten peace, progress and stability in the region.

The delegations then briefly summarized the role of their military forces placed in relief efforts after the October 8 earthquake in Pakistan and discussed ways their forces could cooperate to continue relief efforts throughout the winter and respond to any future emergencies.

All parties agreed that military forces provide unique capabilities in such situations and that the deployment of Pakistani, US, Afghan and coalition relief contingents enhanced international relief efforts.

The coalition briefed its concept for expanding the existing coalition-facilitated Afghan-Pakistani staff exchanges and gave an overview of the structure and mission of its Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan. For its part, Pakistan explained how it is increasing stability in the tribal areas by combining security operations and substantive and effective socio-economic development through its own resources and help from the US.

This plenary session marked the third time that NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (NATO-ISAF) observers attended the session as guests of the Tripartite Commission. All parties welcomed the observers and looked forward to the expanding NATO-ISAF role in Afghanistan.

The Tripartite Commission will meet again in February 2006 in Kabul.—APP