Deal for Afghan-Pakistani border

The governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to form a joint strategy to fight militant groups operating in their border regions.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced the move after talks in Turkey with his Pakistan counterpart, Asif Ali Zardari.

Mr Karzai said both countries were affected by militant activity and needed to co-operate in their response.

The Afghan-Pakistani border is believed to be a safe haven for the Taleban and al-Qaeda militants.

The US says insurgents use the territory to launch attacks against coalition forces in Afghanistan.

"Both countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, are affected," Mr Karzai told a news conference.

He said the need now was for "institutional arrangements between the two governments to work out plans that will take us to a more detailed, more co-operative struggle against terrorism in the region".

Mr Karzai also said that relations between Kabul and Islamabad had improved "extremely well" and that foreign ministers had agreed to "draw up a joint strategy to fight terrorism, al-Qaeda and other terrorist organisations".

Afghanistan has previously accused Pakistan of not doing enough to prevent cross-border attacks, while Islamabad has objected to strikes by Afghan-based American forces against targets on its territory.