KABUL, June 24: Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta on Saturday called on Pakistan and India to leave Afghanistan out of their fraught ties, saying Kabul wanted good relations with both.

He was speaking to reporters on his return from his visit to Pakistan.

Asked about Pakistan’s concern about India’s influence on Afghanistan, Mr Spanta said officials had asked in meetings for both to “do us a favour and leave Afghanistan out of their tensions”.

“We have very good relations with India and want better and better relations with Pakistan,” he said.

“These two countries should try to solve their problems themselves,” he said.

Afghanistan had already asked the United States and Iran not to pull it into their disputes and wanted similar from the Southeast Asian rivals, the minister said. Another example was of Pakistan having good relations with both China and America, who also had difficult relations, Mr Spanta said.

Mr Spanta said it had been agreed during his visit to Pakistan that the foreign ministers of both countries would meet every three months.

They would also step up cooperation in the fight against terrorism with security authorities to meet every two months.—AFP