ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday left for China to attend the meetings of Foreign Ministers of neighbouring countries of Afghanistan as well as the Extended Troika on Afghanistan’s economic and humanitarian crises.
The third meeting of Foreign Ministers of Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan is being held on 29-31 March 2022 in China and Foreign Minister Qureshi would represent Pakistan who has been invited by State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi.
Qureshi is accompanied by Special Representative on Afghanistan Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq and Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood during the visit.
Besides attending the Neighboring Countries Ministerial meeting, according to a statement of the Foreign Office, the foreign minister will interact with counterparts from participating countries. “Pakistan fully supports a regional approach on Afghanistan for promoting durable peace and stability in the region. Pakistan will continue to support the international community’s efforts to advance the shared objectives of a peaceful, stable, sovereign, prosperous and connected Afghanistan,” it added.
In a video statement before leaving for Beijing, Qureshi said that it would be the third session of the neighboring countries of Afghanistan which included China, Pakistan, Iran, and Central Asian republics to review the situation in Afghanistan. He said that the meeting would discuss peace and stability in Afghanistan, economic and humanitarian issues, besides the proposed connectivity projects. He hoped that the discussions in the meeting would be fruitful.
He said that it has also been decided that the trilateral meeting of China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan would also be held; adding that Afghan acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has also been invited to attend the meeting.
Qureshi said that the Extended Troika – the United States, Russia, China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan – which has played a very crucial role in consensus, would also meet on the occasion. Additionally, he added that he would be holding bilateral meetings including with his Russian counterpart in which views would also be exchanged on the Ukrainian crisis.
In his meeting with the Russian foreign minister, Qureshi said that he would share with him the point of view of the OIC about the Ukraine issue, adding that the OIC in its recently held 48th session of its Council of Foreign Ministers mandated Pakistan for playing a role for the possible end to crisis.
He said that a bilateral meeting with his Iranian counterpart would also be held in which besides the bilateral relations, the ongoing talks between Iran and the US on the nuclear deal would also be discussed.
Pakistan had initiated the Neighboring Countries format in September 2021 with a view to evolving a regional approach on the situation in Afghanistan. Pakistan hosted the first meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Neighboring Countries on 8 September 2021.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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