KABUL, Feb 9: Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed their relations will be based on “mutual respect and non-interference”, Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said on Saturday.

Speaking to the media here, he said a “new phase” had opened in relations between the neighbours. “We are talking about a new situation, a new phase,” he said.

“Pakistan has announced its support for the interim government.”

Abdullah said the visit by Afghan interim administration’s chief, Hamid Karzai, had been “a show of goodwill, a gesture from both sides”.

“It shows the new phase in our foreign relations with our neighbouring countries and the principles upon which our relations will be based were mutually accepted,” he said. These principles included “mutual respect for the interests of each other, the sovereignty of each other and non-interference”.

“We hope that this will be a good start and a new phase in our relations with Pakistan. The atmosphere of the meeting was very positive.”—APP