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Pakistan, Britain to bolster defence ties

By IANS

Islamabad : Pakistan and Britain have agreed to forge closer cooperation in the war on terror at the ninth meeting of their Defence Cooperation Forum held here.

The meeting on Tuesday was co-chaired by Pakistan Defence Secretary Kamran Rasool and British Under-Secretary of Defence Bill Jeffrey.

Jeffrey stressed the need for developing a wide-ranging strategic relationship and said Pakistan and Britain had shared interests of security and stability in the region and cooperation between the two sides needed to be increased.

“He appreciated the role played by the security forces of Pakistan in the war on terror. The Pakistan side dwelt on the steps taken for the socio-economic uplift of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA),” Dawn reported Wednesday.

Rasool said Pakistan was committed to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

He said Pakistan was also making sincere efforts to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan because a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was in the interest of not only Pakistan but of the whole region.

The British delegation also met caretaker Minister for Defence and Defence Production Syed Salim Abbas Jilani and discussed with him matters of mutual interest.

The minister said it was in the interest of both countries to develop cooperation on a sustainable basis.