China intervenes to ease Pak-Afghan ties with focus on economic cooperation

Published June 25, 2017
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi  and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz arrive for a press briefing. —AFP
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz arrive for a press briefing. —AFP
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi gestures to Sartaj Aziz during a press conference in Rawalpindi. —AP
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi gestures to Sartaj Aziz during a press conference in Rawalpindi. —AP

Pakistan, Afghanistan and China have agreed to hold dialogue process at foreign ministers level to discuss all aspects of relations between Islamabad and Kabul with special focus on economic cooperation, Radio Pakistan reported.

The agreement was reached in the wake of meeting between Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Islamabad on Sunday.

It was further decided in the meeting that a bilateral crisis management mechanism between Afghanistan and Pakistan will also be evolved that will enable the two sides to maintain timely and effective communications in case of any emergencies.

Addressing a joint news briefing along with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Aziz said Afghanistan, Pakistan and China have also agreed on the need for reviving the QCG process to create a conducive environment for talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi appreciated the resolute steps taken by Pakistan to counter the menace of terrorism.

Wang Yi reached Islamabad on Saturday after visiting Kabul during the day where he held talks with Afghan Foreign Minister Salahud­din Rabbani and National Security Adviser Haneef Atmar.

China was proposing a trilateral mechanism for cooperation for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan and coordination of counterterrorism actions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

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