ISLAMABAD, July 13: Pakistan and Afghanistan on Tuesday resolved to institutionalize bilateral ties to tackle various challenges facing the two countries and pledged to fight terrorism.

Addressing a joint press conference after formal talks here, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and his Afghan counterpart Abdullah Abdullah announced that a process would be initiated soon to discuss multifaceted bilateral issues in a constructive manner.

Mr Kasuri said that top dignitaries of the two countries would pay frequent visits to each other's country to ensure that problems between the two states did not pile up.

He suggested that the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan should meet twice a year and added that the two foreign secretaries would be meeting within three months.

Mr Abdullah said the two countries could improve their cooperation in economic, security and diplomatic spheres. He said the forthcoming visit of Afghan President Hamid Karzai to Pakistan would go a long way in cementing bilateral relations.

In reply to a question, the visiting minister said that thousands of moderate Taliban, who were not involved in terrorism, had already joined the mainstream life. He, however, ruled out the possibility of any interaction with those whose agenda was terrorism.

President Karzai, he said, had appealed to the moderate Taliban to return to peace and harmony. Pakistan and Afghanistan would have to fight terrorists on both sides of the borders, he pointed out.

Answering a question about allegations levelled by Kabul against Islamabad about cross-border infiltration, Mr Abdullah said the Afghan government appreciated the action taken by Pakistan in Wana.

Referring to the assassination attempts on the life of President General Pervez Musharraf, he said it was in the interest of the two countries that such extremists were rooted out.

About the Pakistani prisoners in Afghan jails, he said that many had already been released while a decision and a process about releasing the rest was under way. Mr Kasuri said the United States had given clearance for releasing of the Pakistani prisoners and added that only the modalities remained to be worked out in this regard.

In reply to a question about the participation of refugees in the forthcoming Afghan elections, Mr Abdullah said the electoral commission and the United Nations were working on a plan to facilitate millions of Afghans in the presidential elections scheduled for Oct 9 and the parliamentary polls in spring.

Answering a question, Mr Kasuri ruled out any link between the visits of Mr Abdullah, US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and the appointment of Jehangir Ashraf Qazi as head of UN the mission for Iraq. He said Mr Armitage's visit was planned months ago and his (Armitage's) visit to India had certainly nothing to do with the appointment of Mr Qazi.

APP adds: The two foreign ministers expressed their common resolve to fight the menace of terrorism which, they said, was posing a threat not only to their countries but the whole region.