Islamabad: A senior UN official called today for Afghanistan's neighbors to work toward mending tense regional relationships so the conflict-torn country can be rebuilt.

Kai Eide, head of the UN mission in Afghanistan, is seeking to expand the world body s role in areas such as regional economic cooperation and crossborder infrastructure.

Eide, on his first visit to Islamabad since his appointment in March, said his priority is to harness the momentum from an international conference in Paris last month when donors pledged more than USD 20 billion in additional aid for Afghanistan.

Other areas where regional cooperation is needed include combating Afghanistan s runaway illegal narcotics industry and its raging Taliban-led insurgency.

Eide said the UN is ready to facilitate "constructive" regional ties and that the reaction of Pakistani leaders in meetings today was "positive."

He wouldn't elaborate on exactly what role the UN could play in the regional cooperation or what it would like to see from Pakistan.

He said priorities are building Afghan institutions, restructuring the economy as well as "bringing the region more closely together."

Afghan President Hamid Karzai accuses Islamabad of secretly aiding insurgents with the goal of installing a pliable government in Kabul. Pakistani officials complain they are getting blamed for the failings of Karzai and his Western backers.

Source : PTI