Pakistan hosts trilateral meeting in Islamabad

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AA) - China, Pakistan and Afghanistan have reiterated their support for a politically negotiated settlement of the long-standing conflict in Afghanistan.

A joint statement issued after the third round of China-Afghanistan-Pakistan foreign ministers' dialogue held in Pakistan's capital city Islamabad on Saturday said the three sides had been closely following recent developments in the region and taken note of the talks between the U.S. and Taliban.

"Hope that intra-Afghan negotiations including direct negotiations between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban begin soon and lead to full cessation of violence bringing lasting peace for the people of Afghanistan", the foreign ministers of three countries said.

They underlined the need for an inclusive, Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process leading to a comprehensive agreement for durable peace and stability in the war-torn country.

The trilateral meeting was attended by Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, and State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi.

The three foreign ministers agreed to continue their joint efforts for building political mutual trust and supporting reconciliation, regional peace and stability, development cooperation and connectivity, security cooperation and counter-terrorism as key areas of the trilateral cooperation.

The three sides condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Kabul, Konduz, Baghlan and Farah, which have taken many innocent civilian lives including women and children.

The Afghan Taliban claimed responsibility for the recent suicide attacks in Kabul and Konduz.

Praising the efforts made by the Government of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan, the foreign ministers expressed their continued support for Afghanistan’s peace and reconciliation process as well as for the efforts towards reconstruction and economic development in the country.

"The three sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening their relations, exploring new ways of deepening cooperation, including advancing connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) and other regional economic initiatives", the joint statement further added.

They also agreed to explore ‘China-Afghanistan-Pakistan plus’ cooperation, as well as working towards promoting trade and connectivity projects between Afghanistan and Pakistan, such as Kabul-Peshawar Motorway.

China expressed its readiness to support construction of refrigeration storages, clinic centers, drinking water supply schemes and immigration reception centers at crossing points between Afghanistan and Pakistan to facilitate the movement of people and trade activities among the two countries.

The three foreign ministers reiterated their strong resolve to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and without any distinction.

They also reaffirmed commitment to not letting any terrorist organization, element or individual use their soils against any country.

The foreign ministers of China and Afghanistan thanked Pakistan for the successful organization of the 3rd round of China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue and for its warm hospitality and decided to hold the next round of Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue in Beijing in 2020.