–Afghan envoy says violence in war-torn country has ‘dropped significantly’ due to Pakistan’s intervention
–Says Taliban need to comply with contents of deal if they are serious in bringing peace back to country
–Chinese FM says lasting solutions needed to maintain regional peace
ISLAMABAD: Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani on Saturday acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts in the ongoing peace talks between the United States and Afghan Taliban, saying due to Islamabad’s intervention “violence in the country has dropped significantly”.
He was addressing a joint press conference with his Chinese and Pakistani counterparts following the third round of China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue held in here in the federal capital.
The moot, initiated by Beijing in 2017 amid rising tensions between Islamabad and Kabul with an objective to help normalise relations and start joint development projects in Afghanistan, is the third since its inception.
It came at a time when the United States and Taliban are about to reach a deal for the withdrawal of US troops from the war-torn country. However, the Afghan government is not included in the process much to the chagrin of the Ashraf Ghani-led administration.
The Afghan FM said the Taliban needed to comply with the content of the deal if they were serious in bringing the peace back to the country. He said the trilateral dialogue was important for the region.
During the moot, Pakistan, China and Afghanistan agreed to expedite the Afghan-owned peace process for the greater interests of the region.
According to the statement, 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 need to continue the joint fight against East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and its supporters and facilitators was also acknowledged.
“The three sides committed to promote measures to counter terrorists’ logistical capabilities including terror-financing, recruitment and training,” according to the joint press release.
The trilateral forum was established two years ago, and the earlier meetings were held in Beijing and Kabul in 2017 and 2018. The next round of talks will be held in Beijing in 2020.
In today’s dialogue, the three countries 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”.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the moot discussed the Afghan peace process and regional situation in the light of the current regional scenario. He said Afghanistan and Pakistan need each other for regional interests. He said the three countries were satisfied with the third round of the dialogue and have agreed to take it further.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the trio agreed to enhance cooperation on counter-terrorism and security issues. He said Pakistan and Afghanistan need comprehensive efforts for peace in the region.
He expressed concerns over the situation in Afghanistan, saying lasting solutions were needed to maintain regional peace. He said China supported inter-Afghan dialogue between Kabul and Taliban.
The foreign minister said Afghanistan can also benefit from multi-billion dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor and Gwadar Port. He said peace and development in Afghanistan are important for overall regional development.
Talking about China-Pakistan relations, he said that the friendship between the two countries is time-tested.
He thanked his Chinese counterpart for Beijing’s support to Pakistan in the UN Security Council after India unilaterally withdrew occupied Kashmir’s autonomous status.
CHINA SUPPORTS PAKISTAN ON KASHMIR:
China also reaffirmed its support to Pakistan and reiterated opposition to any unilateral action as well as the measures that could further complicate the situation following India’s unilateral and illegal actions in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The support was expressed by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during delegation-level talks between Pakistan and China in Islamabad on Saturday.
The Pakistan delegation was led by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Wang Yi highlighted that the Pakistan-China relationship is based on mutual respect, trust and strong bonds of friendship.
He appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to achieve goals of national development and extended China’s utmost support in this regard.
The Chinese FM emphasised that CPEC is a demonstration project of high-quality BRI projects and is being implemented jointly by Pakistan and China.
Both countries have complete consensus on the future direction of CPEC to advance high-quality development in Pakistan.
He underscored that Pakistan’s economic and financial situation was improving and the central banks of both countries must deepen their cooperation to reap dividends at a larger level. FM Qureshi briefed the Chinese side on the evolving situation in the occupied Kashmir.
He stressed that the ongoing curfew for over four weeks, the continued lockdown and communications blockade, and the massive human rights violations had created a dire humanitarian situation in the occupied region which needed to be urgently addressed.
FM Qureshi informed the Chinese side of the intensification of ceasefire violations across the Line of Control and emphasised that India could attempt a false-flag operation in order to divert attention from its crimes in Kashmir.
He conveyed that Pakistan is grateful for China’s support in the aftermath of India’s illegal and unilateral actions. He asserted that friendship with China is the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy.
He said that Pakistan will continue to support China on all issues of its core interest, including Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang, and Hong Kong.
He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to the timely completion of CPEC projects, especially those in Gwadar.
The two delegations had an in-depth exchange of views on the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and regional matters, particularly the current situation in Occupied Kashmir.
Both sides also noted with satisfaction the bilateral cooperation at multilateral fora and reaffirmed their commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and support for multilateralism, free trade, and win-win cooperation.
Both sides also signed a memorandum of understanding for educational cooperation between the two countries. Under the agreement, Beijing will provide e-learning facility and aid the establishment of smart schools in Pakistan.
The meeting was held on the sideline of the third round of trilateral dialogue in Islamabad which was attended Pakistan, China and Afghanistan’s foreign ministers.
