KABUL - President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday said terrorism, a threat to peace and stability in the region, could be overcome through confidence-building measures, mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and honest cooperation among states.

Karzai said this while addressing the two-day Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia that concluded in Shanghai on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by Aimal Faizi, the presidential spokesman.

The Afghan leader said the CICA was a platform that could help build confidence and trust among Asian nations at a time when confidence was a requirement for these countries.

“Peace, stability and development in Afghanistan and in the region can be achieved only if there is honest cooperation among regional and neighbouring countries,” the statement quoted Karzai as telling the participants.    

He said Afghanistan and the region faced the twin scourge of terrorism and extremism that threatened peace and future stability of the region.

He stressed there was a dire need for collective efforts to counter terrorism and extremism, saying recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan and China signaled the phenomenon was spreading across the region.   (Pajhwok)