Visiting Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf Monday voiced his optimism on chances of improving his country's relations with its northwestern neighbor Afghanistan after his meeting with Afghan and Turkish leaders in the Turkish capital Ankara.

Presidents of the three countries, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Pervez Musharraf and Hamid Karzai, held a meeting at Cankaya Presidential Palace in Ankara on Monday.

"We reached an accord to overcome our differences and we hope that a new era has opened in our relations," Musharraf told Turkey 's private news channel NTV.

Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of harboring al-Qaida and Taliban terrorists and gave support in their bid to drive out Western forces from Afghanistan and overthrow the government of President Hamid Karzai. Pakistan has denied the accusations.

On the whereabouts of al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden, Musharraf said, "We do not know where he is and it would be wrong to speculate on it without solid intelligence."

"Allegations about Bin Laden should be proven. We do not even know whether he is still alive," he added.

Sezer told reporters after the meeting that the three presidents discussed regional and international issues as well as settlement of peace, stability, security and economic development in the region, adding there is a strong solidarity between the three countries.

Ankara proposed to host another meeting in Turkey at the end of 2007 or beginning of 2008, and Musharraf and Karzai responded positively to this proposal, Sezer disclosed.

According to Sezer, the three-way summit meeting issued an " Ankara statement", under which the three sides have decided to establish a joint study group aimed at providing coordination regarding the issues between the three countries.

The statement stressed that participants of the meeting agreed to work jointly to encourage the targets of "Afghanistan Compact" document of the international community and engaged in cooperating on consolidation of peace, security, stability and economic development in the region.

"Presidents of Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to pursue dialogue and cooperation in all areas as well as to unite their efforts to progress prosperity of their peoples," said the statement.

It added that "Karzai and Musharraf also agreed to further strengthen bilateral relations on the basis of good neighborly relations and respect towards territorial integrity as well as not to intervene in each others' domestic affairs."

According to the statement, Musharraf and Karzai confirmed their determination to create confidence-building measures and agreed to work jointly to ease regular returning Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

The three parties also agreed that radicalism and terrorism pose a threat not only against Afghanistan and Pakistan but also the region.

A joint study group comprising of high-level representatives from Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan was established to follow the progress recorded in the agreed issues, said the statement.

Source: Xinhua