Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to start bus services
Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed Wednesday to start regular bus services between their border cities to further boost growing bilateral trade, economic and commercial links, officials said.
The agreement came during talks between visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.
The plan envisages one bus route between Peshawar in northwest Pakistan and the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad and another between southwestern Quetta and the Afghan southern city of Kandahar.
Plans for the implementation of the proposed bus links will be worked out later, officials said.
Currently trucks from both sides carry goods across the border but there is no regular transport for passengers.
The two sides also signed an agreement to institute regular consultations between their foreign ministers as well as accords on enhancing cooperation in the fields of tourism, information and cultural exchanges.
Both leaders told reporters afterwards they discussed cooperation in the war against terror, and ways bolster the existing economic and trade ties.
Karzai said strong economic and trade relations between the two countries would translate into stronger links among the people.
"The people to people contacts are moving ahead at a speed hard even for the two governments to catch up with," said the Afghan leader who is due to leave for Kabul later Wednesday.