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Published 03 Sep, 2021 02:27pm

Afghanistan focus of talks between foreign ministers Qureishi and UK's Raab

Pakistan and the United Kingdom want to help bring stability to Afghanistan said the foreign ministers in a press conference on Friday.

UK Secretary of State for Foreign Commonwealth and Development Affairs Dominic Raab is in Islamabad for a two-day visit and met with his Pakistan counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Qureshi said he discussed Pakistan's removal from UK's travel list of red countries and discussed what needs to be done to get the country onto the amber list.

The prime minister's special assistance on health Dr Faisal Sultan will attend a meeting with British authorities to discuss the matter further next week.

Qureshi also spoke of the "financial, legislative and administrate" steps Pakistan had taken to get off the Financial Action Task Force's grey list.

On his part, the British foreign secretary thanked Islamabad for evacuating British citizens from Afghanistan, and said the UK will continue to provide aid to Afghanistan on humanitarian grounds.

Although he spoke of assisting Afghanistan, he said it was too soon to talk about recognizing the Taliban at this point.

Prior to his departure for Pakistan, a British MP tweeted a list of issues he hoped Mr Raab would bring up in his meetings in Islamabad.

Mr Raab's trip to Pakistan and his announcement of 30m British pounds in aid to the country has been met with some criticism in the UK.

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