Afghanistan’s regional connectivity potential to be exploited: FMs

KABUL (Pajhwok): Foreign ministers of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan have reaffirmed their resolve to fully harness Afghanistan’s potential as a hub for regional connectivity, according to a statement on Monday.

The meeting of foreign ministers from the three countries reaffirmed commitment to further the trilateral cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and to jointly extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, a joint statement from the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said.

They stressed the importance of existing projects including CASA-1000, TAPI, Trans-Afghan Railways etc. would enhance regional connectivity as well as ensure economic uplift and prosperity for the peoples of this region.

The three sides emphasized to push forward the “hard connectivity” in infrastructure and “soft connectivity” in norms and standards, further explore the facilitating measures for the movement of people and trade activities between the three countries. The three sides agreed to enhance transit trade through Gwadar Port.

Expressing solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, the three sides stressed the importance of sustained and urgent humanitarian support to the people of Afghanistan including the imperative to bridge funding gaps for humanitarian operations.

The Ministers underlined that humanitarian support to the people of Afghanistan must remain delinked from any political considerations.

The three sides underscored the need to tackle security challenges posing a serious threat to regional and global security, and directly impacting the stability and economic prosperity of the entire region.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari ofPakistan, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang of China and the Acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi of Afghanistan held the 5th China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue in Islamabad, Pakistan on 6th May 2023.

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