BEIJING: China will host the third meeting of the foreign ministers of Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries on March 30-31.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson announced the third meeting of the foreign ministers of Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries will be held in Tunxi, Central China’s Anhui province.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will chair the meeting with the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan or their representatives, Wang Wenbin said during his regular briefing in Beijing.
Responding to a question about expectation for the third meeting, he said the meeting will help build consensus among the neighbors on the issue of Afghanistan, discuss how to promote stability in the country and support its people.
“As the situation is in a critical transition from chaos to order, the Afghan people still face multiple challenges from within and outside and need more support. By hosting the third meeting, China looks forward to putting consensus among neighboring countries, discussing ways to achieve stability and support the Afghan people and also share our voice with the rest of the international community,” he added.
The spokesperson informed that on the sidelines of the meeting, the Chinese foreign minister will also host a dialogue between the foreign ministers and the acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi of the Afghan interim government, with the foreign ministers of Indonesia and Qatar invited to participate.
The dialogue is expected to promote the Afghan side to build an open and inclusive political structure, pursue a moderate and stable domestic and foreign policy, and effectively fight terrorism, he added.
“At the same time, we also expect the international community to provide greater support to Afghanistan and call on the United States to effectively assume the primary responsibility for economic reconstruction in Afghanistan,” he said.
Wang Yi paid a visit to Afghanistan on March 24, the first visit by the Chinese foreign minister since the change of government in Afghanistan in August 2021.
Pakistan chaired the first meeting of the foreign ministers of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries on September 8, 2021, one day after the Afghan Taliban announced the formation of an interim government in Kabul. The second meeting of the foreign ministers of the countries bordering Afghanistan took place in Tehran, the capital of Iran, on October 27, 2021.
