ISLAMABAD: Min­is­ter of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar will lead a Pakistani delegation to the 4th mee­ting of the “Neighbouring Countries of Afgha­nis­t­­an” to be held in Samar­kand on Thursday (today).

On the sidelines of the ministerial huddle, Ms Khar will hold bilateral meetings with leaders of the participating states.

The mechanism was launched in 2021 on Pakistan’s initiative with a view to evolving a regional approach on the situation in Afghanistan. Pakistan hosted the first meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Neighbour­ing Countries on Sept 8, 2021, and participated in the second meeting held in Tehran, Iran, in November 2021, and the third meeting in Tunxi, China, in March last year.

“The mechanism will contribute towards forging a consensus among the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan, who are the most direct stakeholders of the situation in Afghanistan,” said a statement issued by the Foreign Office.

It said Pakistan would continue to support all efforts to advance the shared objectives of a peaceful, stable, sovereign, prosperous and connected Afghanistan.

Foreign ministers from China, Russia, Iran and central Asian states are expected to attend the meeting, besides Pakis­tan.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2023