Islamabad set to host 3-way talks on Afghanistan

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang are in Islamabad for trilateral negotiations on Afghanistan.

Muttaqi is due to meet Pakistani and Chinese foreign ministers for the fifth trilateral dialogue in Islamabad later in the day (Saturday), says the Foreign Ministry.

Scheduled to stay for four day stays in Islamabad, he will discuss with the Chinese and Pakistani foreign ministers ways of further boosting ties among the three nations and regional cooperation.

The Muttaqi-led delegation, which arrived in Islamabad on Friday, will meet Pakistani officials on strengthening security, economic and trade cooperation.

The high-level Afghan delegation includes Minister of Commerce and Industry Nooruddin Azizi and senior officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Transport and Trade.

The two sides will review the entire spectrum of relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan in political, economic, trade, connectivity, peace and security and education domains.

Qin Gang is visiting Pakistan for the first time since assuming the office. During his two-day visit, he will participate in the trilateral meeting.

Pakistan and China will hold talks on strategic cooperation, bilateral relations, regional and global affairs. They will discuss a roadmap for multi-faceted cooperation.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari confirmed he would hold bilateral and trilateral meetings with his Afghan and Chinese counterparts.

Initiated in 2017, the trilateral dialogue mechanism has yielded good results, serving as an important platform for greater understanding, trust and cooperation.

Addressing the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers in India on Friday, Bilawal noted the situation in Afghanistan presented new challenges and opportunities.

He underlined the imperative of international engage with the caretaker Afghan government to better understand and influence the course of events in that country.

Islamabad wants Kabul to crack down on the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Afghanistan’s territory. However, the interim government denies TTP activities in the neighbouring country.

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