Pakistan, China And Afghanistan Hold Trilateral Talks In Kabul To Boost Cooperation

A trilateral meeting between the foreign ministries of Pakistan, China and Afghanistan is being held on Wednesday in Kabul. The purpose of the meeting is to boost cooperation between the three countries and discuss the security situation in the region.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was received by Deputy Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Mohammad Naeem, Pakistan's Ambassador to Afghanistan Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani and senior Afghan officials on his arrival.

The trilateral summit will focus on "improving cooperation between Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan, especially in trade, regional connectivity, and counterterrorism domain," according to the Pakistan Foreign Office.

Along with senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq, Special Representative for Afghanistan, Dar will also meet bilaterally with Afghanistan's acting foreign minister to discuss bilateral issues.

Pakistan and Afghanistan decided to improve their diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level during the final round of talks in Beijing in May. During the most recent trilateral conference, the foreign ministers of the three nations decided to increase "trilateral" cooperation by extending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan.

The CPEC has drawn harsh criticism from India since it goes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.  Since the CPEC is a part of China's Belt and Road strategy, New Delhi is also against it.

This is Dar's third trip to the Afghan capital since April, and the first time Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has visited the country since the Taliban took over in 2021. China has reportedly contributed to reducing tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

According to insiders, one of the main subjects of discussion at Wednesday's meeting would be the security situation, including the existence of terrorist organisations within Afghanistan.

The existence of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other organisations in Afghanistan has alarmed Pakistan.

Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal, spokesman for Afghanistan's Deputy Foreign Ministry, said the conference will cover a wide range of topics, including deepening political connections, establishing new avenues for economic cooperation, and implementing coordinated security measures in the region.