NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and Pakistani
President Pervez Musharraf discussed Afghanistan on Monday when
they met in a hotel in Brussels.
They noted that both Afghanistan and Pakistan face the same
challenge of violent extremism and terrorism, said NATO in a press
release.
They agreed that the two countries and NATO should continue to
cooperate as closely as possible to tackle this challenge.
Musharraf pledged to ensure that the upcoming elections in
Pakistan will be free and fair. Both men agreed on the importance
of deepening the practical and political relationship between NATO
and Pakistan, said the press release.
Political exchanges evolved after NATO's relief assistance
operation in response to a devastating earthquake in Pakistan in
2005.
NATO and Pakistan intensified political dialogue, in particular
with regard to the shared objective of bringing security and
stability to Afghanistan.
(Xinhua News Agency January 22, 2008)
