China, Afghanistan and Pakistan should restart the mechanism of trilateral cooperation based on the principles of mutual respect and consultation on an equal basis, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a meeting in Tunxi, China, with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Amir Khan Muttaqi, Foreign Minister in the Taliban (banned in Russia) interim government of Afghanistan.
"In the current situation, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan should restart the mechanism of trilateral cooperation, based on the principles of mutual respect, consultation on an equal footing and mutual benefit, to promote cooperation in politics, development and security," he was quoted as saying on the Chinese MFA website on Thursday.
According to Wang Yi, it is necessary to build political trust between the three sides based on the concept of good neighborliness and friendship, as well as to strengthen practical cooperation, in particular, to jointly promote the Belt and Road Initiativinitiative and help Afghanistan participate in regional cooperation. In addition, it is necessary to strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism, said the Chinese foreign minister.
The third ministerial conference of Afghanistan's neighbors is being held Thursday in Tunxi (Anhui Province, East China). Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived there Wednesday. On the sidelines of the event, a dialogue between the foreign ministers of Afghanistan's neighbors and the Taliban delegation is scheduled, as well as another meeting of the expanded Troika on Afghanistan (Russia, the PRC, the United States, and Pakistan) at the level of special representatives.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS