David Cameron to meet with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai

David Cameron on a 2011 visit to Camp Bastion in Afghanistan. Photograph: Lefteris Pitarakis/AP

David Cameron will break new ground on Thursday when he holds a joint meeting in Kabul with the Afghan president Hamid Karzai and the new Pakistani prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.

Downing Street believes the meeting, the diplomatic highlight of the prime minister's second day in Afghanistan, will show the importance Britain attaches to the "Af-Pak" strategy. This is the phrase coined by Barack Obama to denote the significance of treating Afghanistan and Pakistan as equally important ? and linked ? challenges.

British officials see the meeting as a rare chance for Cameron to assess the joint commitment of Afghan and Pakistani leaders to dealing with the insurgent threat which straddles their borders. Nato forces are handing over control of Afghan security to local forces to ensure that all combat troops are withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

One source said: "It is an important meeting. It is an opportunity for the three leaders to talk. But it is important not to over-play the outcome. This is a good chance. It is a good opportunity to talk about how they can work together."

Britain wants to encourage greater co-operation between Afghanistan and Pakistan as they confront the "circle of violence" which comprises the Taliban and the Pakistani-based insurgent Haqqani network. Relations are often strained between the two countries because Pakistan's ISI intelligence service encouraged the Taliban in the 1990s as a way of strengthening Islamabad's influence in Afghanistan.

One source said: "It is in the interests of Afghanistan and its neighbours that there is a secure and stable Afghanistan. That is in their mutual interests."

Cameron will adopt a cautious approach to his new Pakistani counterpart. There are concerns about the way in which Ashraf was installed after his predecessor, Yousuf Raza Gillani, was recently disqualified from office.

The prime minister will make clear in his talks with Karzai that Britain will maintain a significant security and diplomatic presence in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of all Nato combat troops at the end of 2014. Britain is taking a leading role in helping to establish an officer training staff college in Kabul.

Karzai let slip details of the prime minister's trip on Tuesday when he mentioned Britain's role in helping to create an Afghan national officer academy.

"We are going to sign the agreement for a training centre the British are going to make for our forces," Karzai said. He added Britain's involvement in India highlighted its strength in training overseas armies.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/jul/19/david-cameron-hamid-karzai-afghanistan

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