Pakistani, Afghan, US envoys to meet for peace talks

Islamabad, April 25 (IANS) Top Pakistani, Afghan and US diplomats will meet in Islamabad April 26-27 to review the peace process in Afghanistan, the Pakistani foreign ministry said Wednesday.

Marc Grossman, special US representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Jawed Luddin and Pakistani Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani would represent their countries, Xinhua reported citing a ministry statement.

"The sixth meeting of the Core Group of Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States would review various issues of common interest including the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process, economic development, narcotics, return of Afghan refugees and regional connectivity," the ministry said.

Separate bilateral meetings will also be held with both the countries, it said.

Afghan ambassador in Islamabad, Omar Daudzai, said the meeting will also discuss the "obstacles" in the Afghan peace process.

The trilateral forum was revived last month when diplomats met in Dushanbe, Tajikistan after a seven-month deadlock following the assassination of Afghan peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani.

Kabul suspended contact with Islamabad after Rabbani's assassination, claiming that the murder was planned with the help of Pakistani "elements", and carried out by a suspected Afghan Taliban bomber from Quetta. Islamabad denied the charges but assured cooperation in a joint probe.