Chinese Foreign Minister calls for extension of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan
Chinese Foreign Minister calls for extension of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan
China on Thursday said it would deepen three-way cooperation with Afghanistan and Pakistan as the foreign ministers of the three countries met in East China.
Foreign Minister Wang Wang said, “Under the current circumstances, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan should restart the trilateral cooperation mechanism and in the three areas of politics, development and security, based on the principles of mutual respect, equal-footed consultation and mutual benefit.” But cooperation should go ahead.” Yi said after talks with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and the Taliban government’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaki.
China hosted the third summit of foreign ministers of Afghanistan’s neighbors including China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan on Wednesday and Thursday, part of a new dialogue mechanism supported by Beijing and Islamabad. India has not been invited to the three meetings.
In a letter to the summit held in eastern Anhui province, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to support Afghanistan’s development, saying that China is “committed to supporting its quest for peace, stability and development”. With the country “approaching a critical point of transition” from chaos to order. ,
On the sidelines of the summit, the ministers of China, Afghanistan and Pakistan met separately and underscored their close ties. Shortly before the return of the Taliban to power in August last year, China and Pakistan decided to align their Afghanistan strategies and follow a joint approach. Since then both countries have sought to forge closer ties with the Taliban government.
Mr Wang said the three sides should “jointly advance Belt and Road cooperation and expand the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, and help Afghanistan participate in regional connectivity.”
The foreign ministers of the seven neighboring countries, in a joint statement, issued a thinly-veiled criticism of the United States, saying they “honestly accepted commitments on economic recovery and future development from countries primarily responsible for the current plight in Afghanistan.” Urged to complete it. Afghanistan.” He also expressed “deep concern” over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
Agreed to hold its fourth summit in Tashkent the following year, he also called for regular consultations between its Special Representatives for Afghanistan and a new mechanism to establish working groups for political and diplomatic issues, economic and humanitarian affairs, and security. commenced.