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Trilateral Meetings of Foreign Ministers
Foreign Ministers from Afghanistan, Pakistan and China will hold a virtual trilateral meeting on Thursday. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the current Afghan stalemate after the US and NATO’s withdrawal from the country. The last trilateral meeting was held back in September 2019. The latest meeting is summoned virtually due to Covid 19 pandemic. The foreign ministers will discuss how to break the current deadlock in the Peace Process.
Current Situation
The meeting is summoned at a time when Pak-Afghan relations are going through a setback. Pakistan has cut off formal ties with the Afghan National Security Advisor (NSA) after his remarks against Pakistan. Similarly, Pakistan conveyed its reservations to Kabul and also decided not to hold any bilateral meeting with Afghan NSA. However, despite Pakistan’s protest it is continuing to support the Peace Process and seeking a political solution for Afghanistan. The current situation of Afghanistan is uncertain in the context of the announced plan of the US withdrawal. However, the absence of a peace deal instils the fear of instability in Afghanistan.
Pakistan’ Support for a Peaceful Afghanistan
Afghanistan Wolesi Jirga Speaker Mir Rahman Rahmani met Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday. The Foreign Minister endorsed Pakistan’s support for a peaceful, democratic, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan. He also asserted the deep historical ties with Afghanistan based on centuries. Furthermore, he stressed on strengthening bilateral ties by instilling the importance of parliamentary interactions. Moreover, the Foreign Minister highlighted Pakistan’s effort regarding the Peace Process. He further asserted that Pakistan always viewed the negotiated settlement as a solution to the Afghan conflict.
Foreign Minister @SMQureshiPTI received the Speaker of #Afghanistan’s Wolesi Jirga, Mir Rahman Rahmani who is in 🇵🇰for 2nd General Conference of Parliamentary Assembly of Economic Cooperation Organization. 1/3@mfa_afghanistan@PakinAfg pic.twitter.com/hs44pcTEvM
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) June 1, 2021
FM Qureshi also expressed the hope that the Afghan parties will utilize this opportunity regarding the Afghan Peace Process. Furthermore, he expressed his concerns that the Afghan parties should work inclusively for comprehensive settlement and peace in the region. Similarly, he also highlighted the need to be cautious about the spoilers within and outside of Afghanistan. He also underlined the significance of the platforms like Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) for bilateral interests.
Conclusion
Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan, Pakistan and China will hold a virtual meeting to discuss the current stalemate in Afghanistan. The meeting comes at the time when Pak-Afghan relations are facing tensions after Afghan NSA’s remarks against Pakistan. However, despite the situation, Pakistan is continuing to support the Peace Process and seeking a political solution for Afghanistan. Moreover, the meeting between Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and Afghan Wolesi Jirga Speaker revolved around stability and peace in Afghanistan. Pakistan is utilizing all its efforts to reach a political settlement in the region. Hence the trilateral talk between the Foreign Ministers is crucial for the future of the region.
