Chinese, Russian presidents to discuss Afghanistan

KABUL (Pajhwok): Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are expected to confer on the current situation in Afghanistan.

A virtual meeting between the Chinese and Russian leaders is going to take place today (Wednesday), the China Global Television Network reported.

Cui Hongjian of the China Institute of International Studies expects the presidents to exchange views on Afghanistan.

He says Beijing and Moscow have previously voiced concerns over Afghanistan being a staging ground for extremists and terrorists.

Cui was quoted as saying: “The withdrawal of American and NATO troops has caused new uncertainty in the region and this impacts China and Russia.”

He urged the two countries to closely cooperate on dealing with a resurgence of terrorism and rebuilding of Afghanistan.

China-Russia bilateral trade and economic cooperation had seen a big boost and political trust between them was at its best, the expert noted.

Bilateral trade in goods between the two nations reached a record high of over $115 billion in the first 10 months of the current year.

PAN Monitor/mud