With counter-terrorism, peace and economic cooperation in focus, the second China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue is taking place in Kabul on Saturday (today).
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will be leading Pakistani delegation to the meeting.
The trilateral mechanism was launched last year in June when the Chinese foreign minister visited Kabul and Islamabad amid tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan after a deadly truck bomb which killed nearly 150 people and injured over 400.
The first China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue was held in Beijing in December 2017 where the three sides had agreed to strengthen cooperation in counter-terrorism. Foreign ministers of the three countries had reached on a consensus to take concrete measures against the menace of terrorism. The three parties had also committed to maintaining regional peace and stability, enhancing regional connectivity and economic cooperation and promoting shared security and development.
The second China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue is taking place at a time when United States has established direct contacts with Afghan Taliban regarding peace and reconciliation process in the war-torn country.
Pakistan says it supports Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process in Afghanistan. However, Taliban have refused to sit with the Kabul administration on the plea that they want to settle the issue of the foreign troops.
Last week, Prime Minister Imran Khan while talking to media in Islamabad said that Islamabad will play the role of an ‘arbitrator’ in the Afghan peace process.
Published in Daily Times, December 15th 2018.
