ISLAMABAD, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said here Tuesday that the final answer to the Afghan question was not military but reconstruction, development and nation building.

    Speaking at a joint press conference with Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri after their talks, the NATO chief said the Afghan government should concentrate on institution building and fighting crime and corruption to strengthen security and stability in the country.

    Scheffer described his meeting with Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf as fruitful and welcomed understanding reached between Pakistan and Afghanistan during the Ankara meeting between Musharraf and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai.

    He said that there was need to invest more on both sides of the border to improve surveillance.

    Responding to a question, Scheffer said NATO forces were in Afghanistan to ensure enabling atmosphere for reconstruction and development. He said NATO forces would remain there in the foreseeable future as reconstruction was a long-term process.

    He said that during his talks with Kasuri, the two sides agreed to institutionalize their political dialogue to build an enduring cooperative relationship.

    He said that the two sides agreed that reconstruction and development and not military solution was the key to durable peace in Afghanistan.

    Scheffer said that not only Pakistan but the entire world community had stakes in peace and stability of Afghanistan.

    "It is, therefore, not just responsibility of Pakistan to contribute towards that end but also that of other members of the international community," he added.

    Kasuri said that the two sides also discussed regional and international issues including Pakistan-India relations and the composite dialogue for resolution of core issues including Kashmir, situation in Iraq, Iran and the Middle East.

    The Pakistani foreign minister underlined that Pakistan had done more to enhance stability in the bordering regions than anybody else. Pakistan has deployed twice as many troops and suffered thrice as many casualties as the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) forces in Afghanistan.

    He emphasized that the onus for border control could not be placed on Pakistan alone.

    "Pakistan expects matching response from Afghanistan as each side must play its due role to combat the menace of terrorism," he said.

    Kasuri said that he underlined the importance of prompt exchange of information in fight against terrorism.

    "The Tripartite Commission is a credible forum for security cooperation," he said. "We would like to see the Tripartite Commission more fully utilized for greater sharing of intelligence and enhanced security cooperation."

    He said that Pakistan supported ISAF's endeavors for strengthening the Afghan government and the reconstruction of Afghanistan and that NATO could benefit from Pakistan's first hand experience with fighting the global terrorist threat.