Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan Hold Key Trilateral Meeting in Kabul

Islamabad, Aug 20 (PTI) The foreign ministers of Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan are set to hold a trilateral meeting this Wednesday in Kabul. The agenda is to enhance collaboration among the three nations and address the region's security concerns.

Upon arrival, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was welcomed by Afghanistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Naeem, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani, and senior Afghan officials.

The Pakistan Foreign Office noted that the trilateral talks will focus on boosting cooperation in areas such as trade, regional connectivity, and counter-terrorism.

Accompanying Dar is Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq, and senior officials from Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is also slated to hold a bilateral meeting with Afghanistan's acting foreign minister to discuss relations between the two countries.

The previous round of dialogue occurred in May in Beijing, where Pakistan and Afghanistan committed to upgrading their diplomatic relations to ambassadorial level.

During the last trilateral session, the foreign ministers vowed to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into Afghanistan to further "trilateral" collaboration.

India has expressed strong objections to the CPEC, as it traverses through Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, and it is also against China's Belt and Road Initiative, which includes the CPEC.

This marks the first visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Afghanistan since the Taliban's rise to power in 2021 and the third visit by Ishaq Dar to Kabul since April.

Sources indicate that China has been instrumental in mitigating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

On Wednesday, discussions will likely center on the security scenario, particularly addressing the presence of terrorist factions in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has raised concerns about the operations of banned outfits like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) within Afghanistan's borders.

Afghanistan's Deputy Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal stated that the conference will feature comprehensive discussions on fortifying political ties, exploring new economic opportunities, and adopting joint measures for regional security.

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