Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday said peace in Afghanistan will be beneficial for the entire region by enhancing regional connectivity and providing new opportunities for economic cooperation. The prime minister, in a meeting with visiting Minister for Industry and Commerce of Afghanistan Nisar Ahmed Faizi Ghoryani, welcomed the Afghan dignitary and highlighted the close fraternal ties between the two countries. Advisor to the Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razaq Dawood was also present in the meeting, a PM Office press release said. The prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s consistent support to peace and stability in Afghanistan and emphasized the need for a negotiated political settlement. He remarked that Pakistan and Afghanistan have untapped economic synergies and complementarities, which can only be realized through cooperation in the economic and trade sphere. The Afghan commerce minister appreciated the positive role played by Pakistan in facilitating the Afghan peace process and desired for enhanced economic and trade ties between the two countries. Separately, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the words of French poet, historian, and statesman Alphonse de Lamartine about Holy Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) are one of his favorite quotes. On Twitter, the prime minister shared a quote of the French poet with the comment, “One of my favourite quotes about our beloved Prophet (PBUH).” In his book Histoire de la Turquie, Alphonse de Lamartine said, “If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astonishing results are the three criteria of a human genius, who could dare compare any great man in history with [Holy Prophet] Muhammad [PBUH]? The most famous men created arms, laws, and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples, dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and the souls.” The prime minister on Thursday also extended greetings to the leadership and the people of Turkey as the country celebrated 97th Republic Day. “Warm felicitations to leadership and people of Turkey on 97th Republic Day,” the prime minister wrote on Twitter, saying the forefathers of Pakistan stood by the Turkish people in their glorious struggle against forces of imperialism.