.webp)
On Saturday, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, China, and
Afghanistan will convene for a trilateral meeting aimed at fostering
cooperation on the challenging issue of Afghanistan. Additionally, they will
hold bilateral meetings with high-level Pakistani officials. The visit of
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan
Muttaqi to attend the 5th China-Pakistan-Afghanistan Trilateral Foreign
Ministers' Dialogue has been confirmed by Pakistan's Foreign Office in two
separate statements.
According to the statement issued by the FO, "China's
State Councillor and Foreign Minister H.E. Qin Gang would pay an official visit
to Pakistan on May 5 and 6, 2023. This would be his first official visit to
Pakistan since assuming office." During the visit, Foreign Minister
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and State Councillor Qin will co-chair the 4th round of
the Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue, which serves as a structured mechanism
for reviewing bilateral cooperation in key areas.
The two sides will reaffirm the enduring vitality of the
All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership and develop a roadmap for
multidimensional cooperation between Pakistan and China. Additionally, they
will discuss the evolving regional and global landscape. The 3rd round of the
Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue was held in Chengdu, China, in July 2021.
In a separate statement, the FO announced that Muttaqi would
lead a high-level delegation, including Acting Afghan Minister for Commerce and
Industry Haji Nooruddin Azizi, and senior officials from Afghan ministries of
foreign affairs, transport, and trade. The FO added that "The visit of the
Acting Afghan Foreign Minister is a continuation of Pakistan's political
engagement process with Afghanistan."
During his four-day visit, the Afghan leader will hold
bilateral meetings with Pakistani leaders to review the entire spectrum of
bilateral relations in political, economic, trade, connectivity, peace and
security, and education domains.
The trilateral meeting will take place on May 6, and the
foreign ministers of the three nations will participate. The 4th edition of the
dialogue was held in China in June 2021, just weeks before the Taliban took
control of Kabul, and the three nations agreed to enhance cooperation in multiple
fields. The dialogue was initiated in 2017.
.webp)
