KABUL (Dawn News) -- Pakistan has presented a draft joint-declaration on the framework for trilateral cooperation between Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Monday the draft framework can be placed before the second trilateral meeting of the heads of states of Economic Coordination Organization when they meet next month in Tehran.
Qureshi was addressing at the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran Ministerial Forum in Kabul, which was also attended by Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta and Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.
He said Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran are bound by time-tested relationship and amity that transcends the domains of culture and commerce, history and heritage, faith and spirituality.
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran are holding their first trilateral ministerial meeting in Kabul to discuss a number of regional issues, including strategies to counter terrorism, narcotics and enhance relations between the three countries.
In his inaugural address, Foreign Minister Qureshi said Pakistan viewed the trilateral mechanism as an important plank of a holistic regional approach towards issues of development and stability in the region.
He hoped that through the initiative, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran will be able to forge a forward looking development agenda in an atmosphere of trust, understanding and goodwill.
Qureshi called for concerted efforts for the safe and dignified return of Afghan refugees through creation of appropriate pull factors within Afghanistan.
The outcome of the meeting will be presented at the heads of state meeting of the three countries in Tehran next month.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Afghan foreign ministry says the ministerial meeting is a follow up to the agreement by the heads of state of Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan to hold trilateral meetings on assessing ways for strengthened relations between the three countries. -