Musharraf, Karzai Meet in Turkey

The presidents of Pakistan and Afghanistan set aside their past differences at their meeting in Turkey Monday, pledging to work jointly against terrorism.

Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer is hosting Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his Pakistani counterpart Gen. Pervez Musharraf in Ankara to see if the two can reduce tensions between their countries over charges and counter charges about not doing enough in the fight against the Taliban, whose violence in Afghanistan has risen sharply.

Karzai and Musharraf pledged in a joint statement to share better intelligence between their countries, the BBC reported.

The two presidents agreed to deny sanctuary, training and financing to terrorists and to elements involved in subversive and anti-state activities in each other’s country, the statement said.

They also agreed to cooperate in the effort to reduce opium production in Afghanistan and in the repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, the report said.

Turkey will work with the two countries in monitoring progress on the pledges made, the BBC said.