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Britain Hosting Talks with Afghan, Pakistani Leaders


High level delegations from Afghanistan and Pakistan have begun arriving in London for a summit with British Prime Minister David Cameron aimed at improving relations between the South Asian neighbors.

A Downing Street spokesman said Cameron will meet informally on Sunday with Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai and Pakistan's Asif Ali Zardari. The formal summit on Monday will also involve military leaders, foreign ministers and intelligence chiefs from both countries.

A British statement said London expects the Afghans and Pakistanis to make further progress on the outlines of a strategic partnership accord discussed in September on the sidelines of a United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York.

Pakistan has long been accused of using insurgent proxies to wield influence in Afghanistan, and many Western analysts believe Islamabad is continuing to shield senior members of the Taliban and other terrorist groups on Pakistani soil. Pakistan denies all involvement in Afghan affairs.

Britain's Telegraph newspaper quotes a Karzai spokesman as saying Afghans will agree to greater cooperation with its neighbor only if Islamabad shows evidence of improving border security.
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